A military Beachcraft 350 aircraft has crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday, claiming all eight souls onboard including the newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the incident via a statement issued shortly after the crash, but did not reveal the identities of the affected military personnel.
Lieutenant General Attahiru, was appointed Chief of Staff on January 26.
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At least 17 military officers have lost their lives in the last three months in three crashes involving Nigerian Air Force jets.
On Sunday, February 21, 2021, seven NAF officers died onboard a Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft when the jet crashed in Abuja.
Also, on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said an Alpha-Jet aircraft involved in the anti-terror war against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province lost radar contact in Borno State.
Two officers were onboard the missing jet which was later declared crashed and the whereabouts of the two airmen unknown till date.
The late Chief of Army Staff
General Attahiru was born on August 10, 1966 and joined the military in 1984.
He rose through the rank to become the 21st Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army.
Before his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff, he had commanded Operation Lafiya Dole between May 2017 to December 2017.
He was a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and Nigerian Army School of Infantry.
He commenced cadet training in January 1984 and was commissioned into the rank of Second Lieutenant in December 1986 as an Infantry Officer.
He held a Masters degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Others honours he acquired include a Masters of Science in Human Resources Management and Development from Salford University in the United Kingdom and Graduate Diploma in International Studies from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.