The Nigerian military has recorded several aircraft crashes and operational incidents over the past six years, claiming the lives of military personnel and renewing concerns over aviation safety.
The incidents span fighter jets, helicopters, trainer aircraft and transport planes operated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). Notable crashes include a Beechcraft King Air B350i that went down short of the runway at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in February 2021, killing all seven on board; an Alpha Jet lost over Borno State in March 2021 during air support operations, with both pilots presumed dead; and a Beechcraft King Air 350 that crashed near Kaduna Airport in May 2021 in poor weather, killing all 11 aboard, including then-Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru.
Other incidents include a Super Mushshak trainer crash in Kaduna State in April 2022 that killed both pilots, and an MI-171E helicopter crash in Niger State in August 2023 during a casualty evacuation mission, which claimed 11 lives among crew and passengers.
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