Nigeria: Army Chief, Ibrahim Attahiru, dies in plane crash
The Nigerian Air Force said the incident happened as the plane was landing at Kaduna International Airport. Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January to overhaul the military's top brass. The incident happened as the plane was trying to land in bad weather, the military said.
Ten other officers, including the plane's crew, also died. President Muhammadu Buhari said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash. It was part of the government's plan to boost the military's efficiency in fighting a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency.
On Twitter, the president said the crash was a "mortal blow... at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country".Friday's crash comes three months after a Nigerian military plane crashed short of a runway in the capital Abuja, killing all seven people on board. The immediate cause of the crash is still being ascertained," Gabkwet said.
Attahiru took over as army chief in a major military reshuffle in January. Nigeria has been facing insurgencies from Boko Haram and Islamist State-affiliated militants, and separatist Indigenous People of Biafra group (IPOB).
Additionally, security forces struggle to respond to kidnappings and other security threats by well-organized groups of bandits. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Attahiru and three other top military leaders in an attempt to curb the violence. Buhari called the crash a "mortal blow ... at a time, our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country.
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