Former President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief over the death of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis.
Naijaonpoint reported that the Argentine, Bishop of Rome and President of the Vatican, who died at the age of 88 years, will be buried on Saturday.
In a statement on Monday, released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said migrants and the poor lost a friend in Pope Francis’ death.
Nigeria’s former leader appealed to world leaders to heed the Late Pope’s call for an end to the war in Gaza.
It read: “Former President Muhammadu Buhari joins Christians all across the world in mourning the demise of the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, who departed the earth on Easter Monday.
“In a reaction to the news of the death, the former President said Christians in Nigeria and all over the world would miss the exemplary leadership of the church by a Pope who served the poor and the weak, and cared much about migrants and refugees.
“He was a Pope who strove to build a beneficial, complementary relationship between the followers of the world’s two greatest religions — Islam and Christianity.
“Just hours before his demise, he made a call for an end to the war in Gaza. I hope Israel and Hamas will heed this call in final respect to the Pope who had the distinction of bringing climate change to the Vatican, and recognising the Palestinian State
“The former President wishes for a new leader who will build on the inspiring legacies of Pope Francis.”