Some details emerged last night about how Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other officers died in a plane crash in Kaduna on Friday, FirstNews can report.
The COAS was killed along with three other generals, two Majors, a sergeant and four crew members, including the pilot and co-pilot, who were in the rank of Flight Lieutenants and two other non-commissioned AirForce officers on board the military Beachcraft 350 aircraft, which crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday.
Full details of the incident remained sketchy as at last night, but a military source said the air crash occurred at the airport’s runway at about 6pm on Friday.
Nigerian AirForce had earlier in a statement confirmed the crash involving one of its aircraft in Kaduna. NAF did not, however, give details.
A statement terse signed by NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the 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.”
Also, Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria, Akin Olateru, confirmed the air accident.
Olateru, however, wrote on WhatsApp, “Beachcraft 350. 8 souls on board. Unfortunately all dead.”
But FirstNews gathered from military sources that Attahiru was aboard the ill-fated aircraft with some of his aides, the three Army generals, the two Majors, a sergeant and the four crew members when the incident occurred.
“They were almost landing when the aircraft lost its balance and crashed inside the bush,” a military source told FirstNews.
Also a Kaduna airport source told FirstNews that the ill-fated aircraft, following the crash immediately exploded and completely got burnt, killing all the 11 passengers, including the COAS and crew aboard.
The source added that “heavy rain” contributed to the crash of the aircraft.
Attahiru, it was learnt was on his way to Kaduna to attend a passing-out parade for some recruits scheduled for Saturday
Eyewitnesses around the Kaduna Airport also told FirstNews that the crew must have lost control of the aircraft, following a sudden change of weather before the evening rain that fell in Kaduna on Friday.
Friday’s air crash occurred weeks after another AirForce aircraft crashed after losing contact with radar in Borno State.
The ill-fated jet was on a mission to provide support for troops on the ground fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the state.
In February this year, another NAF aircraft crashed in Abuja after reporting engine failure en route Minna.
All the seven AirForce personnel on board died in the incident.