Prez Akufo-Addo condoles Nigeria over Chief of Army Staff’s demise
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed condolences to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following the tragic death of Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru.
"I express the deep condolences of the Gov’t and people of Ghana, and of myself personally, to President Buhari and the Gov’t and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the shocking, tragic deaths of Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, other senior Nigerian military officers, in Saturday’s plane crash. Our hearts go out to their families, and may their souls rest in perfect peace," President Akufo-Addo tweeted.
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The incident happened last Friday at the Kaduna International Airport as the plane Lt Gen Attahiru was travelling in tried to land in bad weather. Ten other officers, including the plane's crew, also died.
Nigeria saddened
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said he was "deeply saddened" by the crash.
Gen Attahiru, 54, only took up his post in January in an overhaul of the military's top brass.
It was part of the government's plan to boost the military's efficiency in fighting a more than decade-long jihadist insurgency.
The Nigerian Air Force said the incident happened as the plane was landing at Kaduna International Airport.
On Twitter, President Buhari 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 to the day after a Nigerian military plane crashed short of a runway in the capital Abuja, killing all seven people on board.
