UPDATED: Nigeria’s Army Chief Lt. Gen. Attahiru, Others Die In Military Plane Crash

Posted by Oludare Fase African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, May 21st, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, has died in a plane crash with some of his aides, reports say.

The incident happened near Kaduna airport where the Chief of Army Staff was billed to commission a project in one of the military formations in Kaduna State.

A tweet by the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that an air crash, involving a @NigAirForce aircraft, occurred near the Kaduna International Airport.

“An air crash involving a @NigAirForce aircraft occurred this evening near the Kaduna International Airport.

“The immediate cause of the crash is still being ascertained. More details to follow soon” the tweets stated.

Born on August 10, 1966, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru hails from Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

However, Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant on new media to President Muhammadu Buhari, shared a list of deceased officers on Twitter yesterday.

They are:

Lt. Gen. I. Attahiru

Brig Gen. M.I. Abdulkadir

Brig. Gen. Olayinka

Brig. Gen. Kuliya

Maj. L.A. Hayat

Maj. Hamza

Sgt. Umar

The crew members of the aircraft are listed as follows:

Flt. Lt. T.O. Asaniyi

Flt. Lt. A.A. Olufade

Sgt. Adesina

ACM Oyedepo

African Examiner reports that this is the second Nigeria Air force Military Plane crash in 3 months.

Recall that on February 24, 2021, A NAF aircraft, Beechcraft KingAir BB305i, crashed in Abuja after take off, as a result of engine failure killing all 7 officers aboard.

Buhari Expresses Shock, Sorrow

President Muhammadu Buhari is deeply saddened over the air crash that claimed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and other military officers.

The President condoles with families of the deceased, the military, and Nigerians in general, describing them as “heroes who paid the ultimate price for peace and security in the land.”

While praying that God receives the souls of the patriots, the President says the crash “is one mortal blow to our underbelly, at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country.”

The President pledged that the departed would not die in vain.