The President of the United States, Joe Biden on Saturday paid tribute to Shinzo Abe, a former Prime Minister of Japan, who was assassinated by yet-to-be-identified persons on Friday.
Abe was shot from behind on Friday while speaking at a campaign event in the western city of Nara.
The 67-year-old, who was Japan’s longest-serving leader, went into cardiac arrest and was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he was announced dead.
Reacting to the sad news, Biden expressed shock over the assassination of Abe, describing it as a tragedy for Japan and for all who knew him.
Read Also: Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe Dies After Attempted Murder
Biden said in a statement which partly read, ‘I’m stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened by the news that my friend, Abe Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, was shot and killed while campaigning.
‘He was a champion of the alliance between our nations and the friendship between our people.’
‘I send my deepest condolences to his family.’
In a related development,
The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has openly extended his condolences to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The President also commiserated with the Japanese government and people of Japan on Abe’s assassination.
Buhari described Japan’s longest-serving PM as one of the most outstanding leaders while assuring the family of the prayers and thoughts of all Nigerians.
He said Abe will be remembered for his commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Africa and Japan through various initiatives.
The President recalled that Abe used the instrumentality of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) for partnerships.
Shinzo Abe who is the Former Prime Minister of Japan had been confirmed dead after he was fatally injured as a result of an attempted assassination on him.