Chief of Army Staff Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as seen at the theatre command operations Lafiya Dole headquarters in Maiduguri, Nigeria, on January 31, 2021. (Photo by Audu Marte /AFP)
Nigeria’s chief of army staff Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru has died in an air crash while on an official trip to Kaduna State, multiple media reports said.
Attahiru was appointed in January.
As reported by The Guardian, although the Nigerian Army is yet to make any official statement on Attahiru’s death, Nigerian Air Force confirmed one of its aircraft crashed on Friday near Kaduna International Airport.
“The immediate cause of the crash is still being ascertained,” Air Force spokesman Edward Gabkwet said.
Also, in an updated report, the Nigerian Tribune said that the COAS died in an air crash along with some aides while on an official trip to Kaduna State on Friday evening.
According to the report, a top military officer at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja confirmed the death of the General and other aides.
The military plane was said to have crahed at the runway of the Kaduna Airport around 6:00 p.m. while it was raining heavily.
The plane was said to have crash-landed on the runway, with all those on board said to have died.
The Nigerian Airforce also on Friday evening confirmed that its aircraft crashed in Kaduna but did not name casualties.
In a tweet by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, he said: “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,”
