Airforce loses officers to another plane crash in Kaduna
…Mishap not necessarily Terror-bandit attack — Experts
By Moses Adeniyi & Ariemu Ogaga
Kaduna has yet again recorded, within its territory, the fall of another plane crash belonging to the Nigeria Airforce, recording the loss of a number of military officers on-board.
It was gathered the Super Mushak, a trainer aircraft, crashed inside the Nigerian Airforce facility in Kaduna, while on a training mission.
As at the time of filing this report, no fewer than two officers have been confirmed dead from the crash. While official reaction from the Public Relations and Information Unit of the Airforce have not emanated as at the time of filing this report, report gathered two pilots on-board were lost.
Last May, 2021, a military aircraft conveying the former Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 others crashed in Kaduna, leaving all the officers onboard, including the Army Chief, dead.
Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff, and 10 other military officers were lost in a NAF’s Beechcraft 350, which crashed around the Kaduna International Airport in Kaduna.
Records have shown that between August 2015, and 2022, Nigeria has suffered no fewer than 12 fatal military plane crashes which have recorded the loss of military officers on-board.
In August, 2015, an Airforce plane crash, recorded the loss of seven military officers on-board in Kaduna. Also were the F-7NI jet mishap on October 10, 2015, and the Augusta Westland crash in Makurdi, Benue November 15, 2015
In 2021, no less than three crashes of the Airforce’s crafts were recorded, with fatalities claiming the lives of military officers.
March 21, 2021 the Beechcraft KingAir350i mishap claimed all seven officers on board in Abuja.
April 3, 2021, the Alpha Jet mishap crashed while supporting troops in the North-East.
While the mishap of the crash of the military jet conveying Nigeria’s 25th Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other officers took a lamentable turn at the Kaduna Airport.
On February, 21, 2021, seven Airforce officers were recorded dead when a military jet fell reportedly, from engine failure and crashed near the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja.
Crash not necessarily Terror-bandit attack – Experts
Meanwhile, as Nigerians feared the crash may be related to attack from bandit groups, security experts believe there are other factors beyond the claims of terrorist strike, which might have caused the crash.
Reacting to the development in a chat with Nigerian NewsDirect on Tuesday, a security expert and Chief Executive Officer, Beacon Security Consult, Dr. Kabiru Adamu, though acknowledged the daily insecurity occurrences, making Nigeria one of the most unsafe places, yet dismissed possible claims that the crash could be a result of terror attack.
He stated that the crash may be a result of several other factors ranging from human error, mechanical fault or weather.
However, he noted that it is only through an investigation the actual reason for the crash can be revealed.
“The two issues are unrelated. The crashed Airforce aircraft absolutely did not fall as a result of enemy action. It may be as a result of several other factors ranging from human error, mechanical fault of weather. Only an investigation will reveal the true reason for the crash.
“The Taraba incident was as a result of explosion. At this stage, it is not known if the explosion was caused by a malicious detonation or by a safety fault. Again only an investigation will reveal what was the cause.
“Irrespective, the two issues reflect the various security and safety, as well as hazard issues that affect day to day living in Nigeria, making Nigeria one of the unsafest places to live in the world.”
He called for an enhanced approach to national safety and security issues to change the circumstances of surrounding wanton killings in the Country.
“It calls for an enhanced approach to national safety and security issues to prevent the wanton killing of Nigerians and to address the safety issues in the Country,” he said.
