Fact-Check: Were Terror Financiers Responsible for Air Crash that killed Former Army Chief, Lt Gen Attahiru in Kaduna?

Fact-Check: Were Terror Financiers Responsible for Air Crash that killed Former Army Chief, Lt Gen Attahiru in Kaduna?

Claim: A former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Danjuma Ali-Keffi (rtd) in an interview with THISDAY alleged that the air crash that killed former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, was linked to terror sponsors.

Full Text: In May 2021, Attahiru and 11 senior military officers died in a plane crash in Kaduna when the aircraft was preparing to land at the Kaduna International Airport. The crash also killed the crew members.

The ill-fated crash involved a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane. It occurred near the Kaduna International Airport when the late COAS went to Kaduna to attend a passing-out parade for army recruits.

The Nigerian Army had listed other officers who died in the crash, including Brig Gen. M. I. Abdulkadir, Brig. Gen. Olayinka, Brig. Gen. Kuliya, Maj. L.A. Hayat, Maj. Hamza, and Sgt. Umar. The crew members were Flt. Lt. T.O. Asaniyi, Flt. Lt., A.A. Olufade, Sgt. Adesina, and ACM Oyedepo.

Ali-Keffi lamented that the late COAS and other senior officers died in a “suspicious” plane crash and that the matter was swept under the carpet, as the full report of the crash investigation was not made known.

In the no-holds-barred interview with THISDAY, Ali-Keffi said Attahiru devised the strategy to end terrorism in the North, part of which was the infiltration of terror groups and the instigation of crisis among terror leaders, which culminated in the elimination of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, by a rival terror group, Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP).

Ali-Keffi, who had been billed to receive the late army chief as GOC 1 Division in Kaduna, pointed to the sudden change of time for Attahiru’s trip to Kaduna, the change of aircraft, change of airport of landing, from the military airstrip to the Kaduna International Airport, his landing in turbulent, stormy weather, and the ear-shattering explosion that occurred before the crash.

He also pointed to the fact that there was no crater or impact on the crash area, noting that the bodies of the passengers were flung out of the aircraft and burnt beyond recognition long before the plane came down, a strong indication that there was an “explosion”.

Verification: To analyse Gen Ali Keffi’s theory, PRNigeria reviewed images and video footage of the crash site and observed no crater or impact on the crash area. 

However, a senior military officer who asked not to be named due to lack of authority argued that the Load Classification Number (LCN) of any international airport is strong enough to withstand heavy aeroplane crashes.

“The aircraft that was conveying the COAS and his entourage was a King Air 350 aircraft which is relatively categorised as a small transport aircraft that crashed while it was trying to land on the runway with reduced speed and would not create a crater at the sight of the crash,” he argued. 

LCN refers to a numerical value assigned to the pavement strength of runways and taxiways at an airport. It indicates the maximum weight of an aircraft that the pavement can safely support. Airports publish their LCN values for different locations within their facilities, allowing pilots to choose appropriate aircraft or adjust take-off and landing procedures based on the pavement strength. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established standard guidelines for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory has detailed documents on airport pavement design and construction, including the use of LCN values.

A complete review of the video of the rash site based on the above shows, trees, grasses and sandy areas around, which means that the aircraft did not crash within the airport area where an LCN might be considered applicable.

Given the theory that the aircraft might have landed with reduced speed, the PRNigeria fact check searched online for reports of causative factors leading to the plane’s crash. 

Findings reveal that following the incident, the Nigerian Air Force mandated the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Nigeria, to lead the investigation into the crash, as contained in a press release by AIB itself on May 25 2021. 

Months later, the AIB Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru, submitted an interim report on the crash to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, in Abuja.

A joint statement by Gabkwet and the general manager of public affairs at AIB, Tunji Oketunbi, stated that the preliminary report contained 27 initial findings and eight safety recommendations for immediate implementation. That was all that was heard of the crash.

The PRNigeria fact-check team tracked the AIB via its website, https://aib.gov.ng/, but could not find reports about the crash. It went to its contact menu and found a telephone line dedicated to responding to media inquiries. 

When contacted, the receiver on the other end of the line on behalf of AIB told PRNigeria that after submitting its preliminary investigation, it requested additional “things” from the Nigerian Airforce, which were major determinants of the outcome of the final report. Still, they were not given; hence the investigation was not concluded. 

When asked if preliminary findings indicated that there was sabotage by “terrorist financiers” as alleged by General Ali Keffi, he said, “You know, we don’t deal with political and criminal aspects of such matters we deal strictly with investigation of facts.” 

When asked why the AIB did not make the preliminary findings public, he argued that it was not a civil aviation accident. Hence, the military had the onus to decide on that, and it was not the AIB’s responsibility to publish the findings. 

Pressed to reveal the actual cause of the crash, he confirmed that weather conditions were one of the known factors but argued that “preliminary is not likely to tell the cause of the accident, but some factual information found  and safety issues conclusion and cause is very dependent to the full report which we didn’t have the chance to complete.” 

PRNigeria then contacted a senior NAF for further comments as regards the AIB’s preliminary report. A top Air Force officer who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said it was due to “extreme weather conditions.”

PRNigeria discovers that in one of his argument, General Keffi also alluded to the same terrible weather in his interview. In the Thisday interview, Keffi said, “…I even suggested that they should advise Abuja of weather conditions to have the flight cancelled. At that point, I was informed that the aircraft was airborne (at about 1745 hrs). I became concerned about whether the aircraft could land at the airport in such a heavy rainfall, storm (the rain had started falling then).

“Thus, I was not surprised when Air Commodore Ilo informed me that we had to go to the Civil (International Airport) as the NAF runway was not long enough to enable the aircraft to land under the atrocious weather conditions. We then set off for the International Airport but at a snail speed due to the heavy rainfall accompanied by shale (ice particles).”

PRNigeria then searches for the possibility of an aircraft exploding in thunderous weather conditions while airborne and landing without a noticeable crater or impact. 

Findings reveal the possibility is extremely low, although some weather phenomena associated with thunderstorms can pose certain risks and cause malfunctioning. 

While uncommon, lightning strikes can damage aircraft systems and electronics. Modern aircraft have lightning protection systems to minimise damage and ensure safe operation. However, in rare cases, extensive damage due to lightning strikes could potentially lead to catastrophic failures. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) emphasises avoiding severe thunderstorms for safety reasons. However, aircraft are designed to withstand various weather conditions, and pilots receive extensive training in handling turbulence and other thunderstorm-related challenges.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) database shows no accidents attributed solely to the effects of thunder or turbulence. Accidents involving lightning strikes are also infrequent but not totally out of the question. 

For example, there have been instances where aircraft have caught fire in mid-air under severe weather conditions. In 1998, a Swissair Flight 111MD-11 aircraft experienced an electrical fire in the cargo compartment while flying over Canada. The fire spread rapidly due to improper insulation and flammable materials, ultimately causing the plane to crash and killing all 229 people on board. The investigation revealed a combination of factors contributed to the accident, including the weather conditions at the time. 

Before then, in 1982, a British Airways Flight 5390 Boeing 747 suffered explosive decompression and cockpit fire while flying through the jet stream above England. The severe turbulence caused a cargo door to malfunction and break off, leading to rapid depressurisation and the in-flight fire. Fortunately, the crew managed to land the aircraft safely with 247 survivors.

Similarly, in 2016, Emirates Flight 557 Boeing 777 encountered severe turbulence and hail while approaching Dubai Airport. The hail damaged the aircraft’s engines, causing one to catch fire. Despite the engine fire and challenging weather conditions, the pilots managed to land the plane safely with no injuries to the 282 people on board. 

These instances bolster the possibility of an aircraft catching fire and exploding in thunderous weather conditions is negligible but not impossible.  

Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria revealed that there were indeed severe weather conditions amidst rainfall and storms during the incident that claimed the life of the late COAS Lt Gen Attahiru and 11 other senior military officers, as corroborated by the sources who spoke on the matter. 

The team also determined that while the possibility of an aircraft catching fire and exploding in thunderous weather conditions is negligible, it is not impossible, as established by historical precedent. 

Findings also revealed that Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), charged with investigating such incidents, could not conclude the investigation after submitting a preliminary report to the Nigerian Airforce. 

PRNigeria, therefore, concludes that there is INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE to prove that that the cause of the crash was linked to terrorist financiers as severe weather conditions played a more relatable role in all findings. 

By PRNigeria