Just in : Chief of Army Staff, Attahiru, aides die in plane crash

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru has died in an air crash today while on an official trip to Kaduna.

It was gathered that Attahiru was killed alongside top military chiefs who were son the same flight with him.

Attahiru was appointed chief of army staff on January 26, succeeding Tukur Buratai. He was 54.

It was gathered that the air crash occured in Kaduna on Friday.

The cause of the crash has not been revealed as at the time of filing this report. Sources however disclosed that the presidency has been briefed about the development.

Ibrahim Attahiru was born on 10 August 1966 in Doka, Kaduna North Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

He was 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 holds a Masters degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy. Others include, Masters of Science in Human Resources Management and Development form Salford University in the United Kingdom and Graduate Diploma in international Studies from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

General Attahiru has held several appointments on the staff, instructional and in command during his military career. he had a tour of duty with the United Nations in Sierra leone as a Military Observer, where he facilitated United Kingdom military engagement, Operation BARASS in September 2000.

He was an Operation Officer and later Company Commander in NIBATT 19 ECOMOG Operations in Liberia. Also, he had the unique privilege of having commanded with distinction all through the chain of command in the Nigerian Army.

Prominent among these appointments are Commanding Officer 146 Battalion Nigerian Army (Operation HARMONY IV) in the Bakassi Peninsula, Commander 13 Brigade Nigerian Army (Operation PULO SHIELD), General Officer Commanding 82 Division Nigerian Army.

He was one time Theatre Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE (the Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency Outfit in North Eastern Nigeria). It is on record that he brought relative stability to the region with the surrender od several Boko Haram combatants.

As a staff officer, he was unit Adjutant, 7 Battalion Nigerian Army, Serti, Chief of Staff, 1 Brigade Nigerian Army Sokoto. General Staff Officer Grade 1 Training/Operations and as well as Staff Duties/Plans at Headquarters 1, 2 and 81 Divisions of the Nigerian Army.

He was Deputy Director Military Secretary 2 at the AHQ MS (A) and one-time Director Army Public Relations and Spokesperson of the Nigerian Army. He was later Director staff Duties and Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters.

He was equally privileged to server as Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation and Chief of Defence Logistics at the apex organ of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Defence Headquarters Abuja.

In that position, he worked with the US Defence Logistics Agency on the Vertically Integrated Logistics Approach (VILA) Programme towards enhancing the operational readiness in the [[Armed Forces of Nigeria.