Retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division, has expressed grave concerns regarding the tragic aviation crash that claimed the lives of former Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru and 11 other high-ranking military officers.
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Ali-Keffi asserts that the crash is closely linked to terrorist financiers, and he urges President Bola Tinubu to promptly initiate an investigation into the incident. Ali-Keffi, who has reservations about the official inquiry, alleges that crucial details surrounding the incident were intentionally suppressed.
He highlights the fact that the complete investigation report has not been made public, which raises suspicions about the circumstances leading up to this unfortunate tragedy. The retired general emphasizes that Attahiru played a pivotal role in devising strategies to combat terrorism in Northern Nigeria.
Ali-Keffi argues that the late army chief’s efforts to confront terrorism extended to exposing and neutralizing those who finance acts of terror.
Providing a detailed account of the events preceding the crash, Ali-Keffi raises questions about sudden changes in the planned trip, alterations in the choice of aircraft, and modifications in the landing airport. He points to a series of unusual occurrences, such as the aircraft descending in stormy weather, a delayed departure, and a deafening explosion prior to the crash, all of which cast doubt on the official narrative.
Ali-Keffi explains that on Thursday, May 20, 2021, at approximately 2100 hrs, he had a phone conversation with the Chief of Staff (COS) to the late COAS regarding their upcoming trip to Kaduna the following day (May 21, 2021). He had previously spoken with General Attahiru on the same matter, and they concluded their discussion with the understanding that the late COAS and his entourage would travel by flight at around 1000 hrs the next day.
Around 0630 hours the next morning, I contacted the Chief of Staff (COS) to the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to confirm their travel plans, as discussed the previous night, in order to make arrangements for the COAS to attend Friday prayers at the mosque. However, the COS informed me that there had been a change of plan. He explained that after our conversation the previous night, they received a message stating that the late COAS was required to attend a meeting either at the office of the Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD) or at the Presidential Villa at 1000 hours on Friday, May 21, 2021. It was emphasized that the COAS had to attend the meeting in person and not send a representative.
It is important to note that the late COAS’ trip to Kaduna was part of his visit to Zaria to attend the Passing Out Parade at the Depot NA, scheduled for Saturday, May 22, 2021.
Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the movement of service chiefs outside of Abuja is authorized by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD), and the presidency.
Given these circumstances, I questioned why a meeting was scheduled for the same time that the late COAS was supposed to depart for or arrive in Kaduna, and why there was an insistence on his personal attendance without representation.
In any case, the COS informed me that they would depart from the Flag House (official residence of the COAS) at approximately 1530 hours, after attending the meeting and Friday prayers, to head to the airport. They expected to arrive at the airport around 1600 hours, board the aircraft between 1610 and 1615 hours, and depart for Kaduna. At 1600 hours, I was notified that they had reached the Presidential Wing of the Airport. Subsequently, I left the Stallion House (official residence of the GOC) with my entourage in a convoy and arrived at the Air Force Base around 1615 hours.
To my bewilderment, the flight was delayed for over an hour and did not take off until approximately 1730 hours. The reason for the delay, as I was informed, was an issue with the aircraft.
I proposed the idea of informing Abuja about the weather conditions in order to potentially cancel the flight. However, I was informed that the aircraft was already in the air at around 1745 hrs. This raised concerns for me, as I doubted whether the aircraft would be able to safely land at the airport due to the heavy rainfall and storm that had begun.
As a result, Air Commodore Ilo informed me that we needed to head to the Civil (International Airport) instead, as the NAF runway was not suitable for landing under such terrible weather conditions. We proceeded towards the International Airport, but our progress was slow due to the heavy rainfall, which was accompanied by ice particles.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the airport, a loud sound resembling thunder caught my attention. Initially, I believed it was indeed thunder, but I had previously noticed what I thought was the aircraft descending to land on the runway. As we turned the corner to enter the tarmac, I expected to see the aircraft already on the ground, taxiing towards the parking area.
However, to my dismay, there was no sign of the aircraft on the runway. I anxiously scanned the surroundings and noticed a fireball at the far side of the runway. It was the aircraft carrying General Attahiru! We immediately exited our vehicles, crossed the runway, and approached the burning wreckage. Firefighters were present to extinguish the flames, but we had to retreat at times due to the fear of exploding cylinders.
Eventually, we discovered the bodies of the 10 passengers who were on board the ill-fated plane. Surprisingly, their charred bodies were found far away from the main wreckage. It appeared that they had been ejected from the aircraft while it was still in flames. Additionally, from what I could recall, the remaining parts of the aircraft were located on a relatively flat grassland, without any noticeable crater.
The absence of a crater indicated the possibility of a mid-air explosion. This led me to question the cause of the aircraft’s explosion. I am curious to know what the Air Safety and Accident Investigation Bureau report reveals about this tragic incident.
