Earlier on Monday, it was widely reported in the media that the erstwhile military personnel had passed on in England on Sunday after a protracted battle with throat cancer.
However, the Nigerian Navy, on Monday evening had asked the public to disregard the reports of Akhigbe’s death, saying that the ex-Chief of General Staff was alive.
“The Naval Headquarters has made concerted efforts to authenticate the story with the admiral’s family in the U.S. and it was found out that the admiral is alive,’’ Navy had said in a statement issued yesterday.
Relatively, the family had stated that Akhigbe was only in a critical condition at a US hospital and not even iin the UK as reported, adding that the published news of his death was an embarrassment to them.
According to the report, plans were being made by the Consulate and the deceased’s family on how to convey his remains back to the country for interment.
Similarly, President of the Senate, David Mark had in a statement confirmed the death of Akhigbe.
Mark in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbodiyan, described his ‘death’ as the loss of “a brother, confidant, friend and comrade-at-arms.”
“He was one of the poster boys of our Course 3 and we were all very proud of him. His death is a huge personal loss to me, the members of Course 3, the Armed Forces, Edo State and the nation.
“But we cannot question God. He alone gives life and takes it when he so desires. We are bound by his decision to take our brother and friend at this time,” he said.
However, the family is yet to make any statement at the time of filling this report.
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