With the tragic death of Nigeria’s newly appointed Chief of Army staff, Ibrahim Attahiru in a plane crash on Friday May 21, at the Kaduna International Airport.
The crash, which involved an ill fated Nigerian Air Force (NAF) claimed the lives of 11 officers including Attahiru who were on their way to Kaduna to attend a passing-out parade for army recruits scheduled for Saturday.
Besides Attahiru, those who lost their lives in the crash were; Brig Gen. M.I. Abdulkadir, Brig. Gen. Olayinka, Brig. Gen. Kuliya, Maj. L.A. Hayat, Maj. Hamza, Sgt. Umar.
The crew members of the aircraft are listed as follows; Flt. Lt. T.O. Asaniyi, Flt. Lt. A.A. Olufade, Sgt. Adesina and ACM Oyedepo
Their deaths indeed has left many deeply shaken as Attahiru was barely four months old on his new job before death took him.
It is imperative to note that the late Ibrahim Attahiru is infact the second army chief to die in an air crash. The other was Joseph Akahan who was appointed a Chief of Army staff at only 30 years old. He occupied the position for only a few months too like Attahiru before he died in a helicopter crash.
As the nation awaits the confirmation of a new Chief Of Army Staff by President Muhammadu Buhari, The Street Journal takes a cursory look at the 25 Chief of Army staffs Nigeria has had since independence.
1. Lieutenant colonel Yakubu Gowon FSS (1934 – Till date)
2. Lieutenant colonel Joseph Akahan OFR FSS (1937–1968)
3. Major general Hassan Katsina RCDS, PSC (1933–1995)
4. Major general David Ejoor (1932–2019)
5. Lieutenant general Theophilus Danjuma (born 1938)
6. Lieutenant general Ipoola Alani Akinrinade CFR FSS (born 1939)
General Akinrinade would later become Chief of Defence Staff
7. Lieutenant general Gibson Jalo CFR FSS, JSS (1939–2000)
General Jalo would later become Chief of Defence Staff
8. Lieutenant general Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi CFR FSS (born 1940)
9. Major general Ibrahim Babangida (born 1941)
10. Lieutenant general Sani Abacha GCON , DSS, mni (1943–1998)
11. Lieutenant general Salihu Ibrahim FSS , FHWC (1935–2018)
12. Lieutenant general Aliyu Mohammed Gusau DSS, rcds (born 1943)
13. Major general Chris Alli CRG, DSS, ndc, psc (+) (born 1944)
14. Major general Alwali Kazir DSS, Usawc, psc (+) (born 1947)
15. Lieutenant general Ishaya Bamaiyi DSS, Usawc, psc (+) (born 1949)
16. Lieutenant general Victor Malu DSS, mni, fwc, psc (1947–2017)
17. Lieutenant general Alexander Ogomudia (born 1949)
18. Lieutenant general Martin Luther Agwai (born 1948)
19. Lieutenant general Owoye Andrew Azazi (1952–2012)
20. Lieutenant general Luka Yusuf CFR, GSS, GPP, DSO, psc (+), fwc, Msc (1952–2009)
21. Lieutenant general Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau CFR, GSS, psc, ndc, fwc (+) (1954)
22. Lieutenant general Azubuike Ihejirika CFR, GSS, psc (+), fwc, fniqs (born 1956)
23. Lieutenant general Kenneth Minimah GSS, psc (+), fwc (born 1959)
24. Lieutenant general Tukur Yusuf Buratai NAM, GSS, psc (+), ndc (BD) (born 1960)
25. Lieutenant general Attahiru Ibrahim (1966–2021)