The photograph you are seeing is that of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi (retd.), both of whom died around 4:30 p.m. today in a plane crash in the Nembe area of President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state, Bayelsa, South-South Nigeria.

Both men were among political heavyweights who attended the burial of Pa Douglas Obebara, the father of Oronto Douglas, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Research, Documentation and Strategy.

The photograph, taken by Cosmas Asogwa, an Abuja-based graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, who attended the burial of Pa Douglas, shows Azazi on the left and Yakowa in the middle, with a guide on the right. Recalling his encounter with Yakowa and Azazi shortly before their death in a crashed military helicopter, Asogwa said minutes ago on his Facebook wall:

“The most cheerful man I met today was Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state. Upon alighting from the doomed chopper aircraft that brought him into Okoroba, Bayelsa State, he was beaming with smiles all the way, greeting and acknowledging greetings from those of us around. He even took time to cheer up his kinsmen who were at the corner butchering cow meat for the occasion before moving onto the reception hall. I don’t understand Hausa, but the smiles on the face of the Hausa butchers following their conversation with Gov. Yakowa smacks of fulfillment and excitement. I have no doubt as to what their mood be now- disappointment. As he moved, I snapped this photo of him and Gen. Azazi but unknown to me this would be the last time I would see both of them alive. They came in the same aircraft together, left the occasion together and died together. May their souls rest in peace.”