Nigeria’s top army commander dies in plane crash - investigation under way
NIGERIA's top army commander, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, died in a plane crash on Friday, officials have said.
Lt-Gen Attahiru was visiting the northern state of Kaduna. In a statement, the air force said that its plane crashed near Kaduna airport and that it was investigating the cause.
Ten others, including the crew, were killed.
The military said the plane was trying to land in bad weather.
President Muhammadu Buhari described it as a "mortal blow...at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country."
Lt-Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January as part of an overhaul of the military's top brass.
His appointment was part of the government's plan to boost the military's efficiency in fighting a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency.
The crash occurred three months after a small Nigerian air force passenger plane went down just outside Abuja airport. All seven people on board died.