There is a growing concern over frequent crashes involving military jets in Nigeria as no fewer than 300 military personnel have died in noncombat crashes in less than 30 years.
By global comparison, this figure, experts say, is too high.
Stakeholders have equally raised the alarm over the frequency and advocated the need for thorough investigation into the ugly development to stem the tide and improve the safety record of the military.
The latest casualties were an Alpha Jet pilot instructor, Flt. Lieutenant Abubakar Mohammed Alkali (NAF 4247) and Elijah Haruna Karatu (NAF 4248), identified as the pilots who died in the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash of Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Kaduna last week.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.
Gabkwet quoted the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao as having said this when he visited Kaduna earlier to commiserate with families, friends, and colleagues of the two pilots who lost their lives in the tragic accident.
Air Marshal Amao said he had constituted an Accident Investigation Board upon receiving the sad news of the crash on Tuesday to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash.
The unfortunate incident of Tuesday’s trainer aircraft crash is yet again a tragic reminder of the perilous nature of the military flying profession as well as the risks NAF pilots continually take, daily, to secure Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
About five aircraft belonging to the military have been involved in accidents within the last one year. The affected aircraft were not involved in combat. They did not crash in theatres of war. They were engaged either in a reconnaissance operation or utility transportation.
The latest crash occurred about one month to the one year tragedy of that of Friday, May 21, 2021 when a Beechcraft KingAir 350i, NAF 203 crashed near Kaduna International Airport, killing eleven military officers, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru.
With Attahiru in that ill-fated aircraft was Brigadier General Abdulkadir Kuliya, then acting Chief of Military Intelligence, described by his colleagues as a detribalised Nigerian with a kind heart; Acting Provost Marshall of the Army, Brigadier General Olatunji Olayinka; Chief of Staff to the COAS, Brigadier-General Mohammed Abdulkadir; Aide-De-Camp to the COAS, Major Lawal Aliyu Hayat; Major Nura Hamza and the pilots, Flt Lt. Taiwo Olufemi Asaniyi, Flt. Lt. A.A. Olufade, Sergeants O.I. Adesina, Umar Saidu and ACM Olamide Oyedepo and Sgt Opeyemi Adesina.
“With these crashes, there is the need to take a holistic review of the entire operation of the Air Force, with a view to ascertaining if there are specific problems that need to be addressed
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That crash, which claimed the life of Attahiru on board was the second time Nigeria would lose an army chief in an air crash. An air crash had, in May 1968, cut short the career of then army chief, Joseph Akahan, exactly one year into his reign.
While there have been crashes involving Air Force planes from time to time, the frequency is now increasing, giving rise to concern within security and aviation circles. Since 2015, there have been 10 accidents involving military planes, among them six in Kaduna alone, two in Abuja, one in Hong, Adamawa State, and one Alpha Jet in Borno State.
The deadliest military plane crash in Nigeria till date was that of the Hercules C-130, which crashed at Ejigbo, a suburb of Lagos, shortly after take-off in September 1992, killing all 163 passengers on board, the majority being middle-ranking Army, Navy and Air Force officers on their way to a staff college course.
Many of the dead were said to be officers taking a course at the Nigerian Command and Staff College at Jaji, in Kaduna State.
In 2006, Nigeria was again thrown into mourning when another military plane crashed in Benue, killing 12 officers, among them 10 generals. The army officers were said to be on their way to a military retreat taking place at the Obudu Cattle Ranch.
Also, on September 28, 2018, a Nigerian Air Force F-7Ni aircraft taking part in the rehearsals for the aerial display to mark Nigeria’s 58th Independence anniversary celebrations was involved in a crash, killing the pilot.
But 2021 will go down in history as the most trying year for the military after recording two fatal crashes in the space of three months.
On February 21, a Nigeria Air Force King Air 350 went down near the Abuja airport, killing seven people who were young officers on board. They were said to be embarking on a mission in Minna, Niger State.
On March 31, NAF Alpha Jet 475 on a reconnaissance mission was declared missing. Its wreckage was later found in Bama, Borno State. The body of one of the pilots (Flt. Lt. Chapele Ebiakpo) was found intact. The other pilot (Flt. Lt. John Abolarinwa) could not be found.
One year after, March 22, 2022 precisely, troops of Operation Desert Sanity on a clearance patrol in Sambisa Forest uncovered the wreckage of the missing Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet (NAF475).
With these crashes, there is the need to take a holistic review of the entire operation of the Air Force, with a view to ascertaining if there are specific problems that need to be addressed.
The NAF has to look at its machines, the maintenance culture and technical capability.
The immediate and remote causes of these crashes must be unearthed through a thorough investigation.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority might also be involved in the investigations, depending on the Federal Government’s readiness to improve the safety of military operations.
There is an urgent need for an investigation into the cause of last Tuesday’s plane crash, as well as other crashes of military planes, which led to the loss of lives of gallant and promising officers.
However, we urge the military not to be weighed down by these tragic events but to remain focused and undeterred so as to ensure that these heroes did not die in vain.
We equally plead with the Federal Government to take urgent steps to ensure the safety of our men and women who are daily putting their lives on the line for the security of our country.
