Mr Putin’s telegram reads, in particular:
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the crash of a passenger plane on October 29 near Abuja with much loss of life. The death of the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s Muslims, is a great loss for the country.
In this difficult hour we ask you, Mr President, to accept our sympathy and pass on our most sincere condolences to the families of the victims”.