Vice President Kashim Shettima has canceled his trip to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa.
Delegated by President Tinubu to represent Nigeria at the event, Shettima’s journey was interrupted when a foreign object struck his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York, as revealed in a statement from the Presidency on Thursday night, October 24.
The statement, issued by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, detailed that the impact caused damage to the plane’s cockpit windscreen.
“Vice President Kashim Shettima’s trip to Samoa has been canceled due to the incident at JFK Airport,” Onanuga confirmed. “The foreign object impacted the cockpit windscreen of the aircraft.”
In response, President Tinubu has swiftly approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in Apia, Samoa, while repairs on the plane are underway.
The delegation will be led by Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal. The summit commenced on October 21 and will conclude on October 26.
