SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, (THEWILL) – A military plane has crashed at the Kaduna International Airport, claiming the life of the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Attahiru, and some of his aides.
Attahiru was 52 years old.
THE WILL gathered that the crash involved a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, Beechcraft 350, carrying about eight persons on board.
Said to be a training aircraft, it crashed at the Kaduna international airport’s runway at about 6pm in the thick of a heavy rainfall.
A tweet on the official handle of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced the unfortunate incident late evening.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, in a tweet on Friday evening 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.”
Attahiru spent about three months in his new post.
Appointed with the rest of the Service Chiefs last January 26, the former Commander of the Boko Haram Counterinsurgency (Operation Lafiya Dole), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru replaced Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai as Chief of Army Staff.
He was born 10th August 1966 in Doka, Kaduna North Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
A graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and Nigerian Army School of Infantry, he commenced cadets training in January 1984 and was commissioned into the rank of Second Lieutenant in December 1986 as an Infantry Officer.
He held a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, as well as a Master of Science in Human Resources Management and Development form Salford University, the United Kingdom.
He also had a Graduate Diploma in international Studies from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
About the Author
