THE family of an operative of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Abubakar Alkali has confirmed his death in a plane crash.
According to a statement signed by one Sule Dauda on behalf of the family, the crash occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Kaduna State.
An aircraft belonging to the Air Force reportedly crashed in Kaduna on Tuesday.
READ ALSO:
NAF confirm elimination of bandits’ leaders in Zamfara
Troops discover wreckage of missing Alpha Jet aircraft in Borno one year after
Nigeria receives six of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from US
Although the NAF is yet to issue a statement on the development, there are reports that the pilots of the aircraft were killed in the incident.
However, in the statement he issued on behalf of the family of the NAF operative that died in the air crash, Dauda announced that the late officer was buried on the same day.
According to him, Alkali was laid to rest at about 5:30 pm, in line with Muslim burial rites.
A Facebook user also posted that she lost a brother in the air crash, noting that the deceased was to be buried at the NAF Airforce Base in Kaduna.
Another officer, EH Karatu, was reported to have died in the air crash.
The incident was said to have occurred during a training session with a trainer aircraft inside the NAF Base in Kaduna on Tuesday afternoon.
The spokesperson for the Nigeria Air Force, Edward Gabkwet, did not respond to calls and text messages concerning the incident.
Since January 2021, four fatal aircraft accidents have killed military officers in Nigeria.
Earlier in May 2021, a military Beechcraft 350 aircraft crashed in Kaduna, leading to the death of former Chief of Army Staff Ibrahim Attahiru.
In February 2021, seven officers of the Nigerian Air force died in a crash close to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja after reporting an engine failure en route Minna, Niger State.
Also, in April 2021, two Nigerian Air Force pilots were killed after a Fighter jet belonging to the Force went missing.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94