Sh*cking Allegation: Retired General Says Plane Crash That Killed Attahiru Was An Assassination

Retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi, former head of the covert Operation Service Wide (OSW), has made startling allegations that the May 2021 plane crash that killed former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, was not an accident but a targeted assassination.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

He claims the tragedy was the result of “internal hostility, operational sabotage, and high-level corruption.”

Lt.-Gen. Attahiru, along with ten other military personnel, died on May 21, 2021, when their aircraft went down near the Kaduna International Airport runway. The victims included Brigadier-Generals Mohammed Abdulkadir, Olatunji Olayinka, and Abdulrahman Kuliya; Majors Lawal Aliyu Hayat and Nura Hamza; Flight-Lieutenants Alfred Ayodeji Olufade and Taiwo Olufemi Asaniyi; Sergeants Umar Saidu and Adesina Isaiah; and Aircraftman Oyedepo Matthew.

Ali-Keffi, who said he personally observed the bodies, insisted that the plane did not crash in the usual sense but “exploded” just above ground level. He noted that the injuries sustained by the victims were inconsistent with a typical aviation accident. Some bodies were flung far from the point of impact, and in one case, Major Nura Hamza had his legs blown off from the knees down, indicating a blast inside the cabin. In contrast, the two pilots’ bodies reportedly showed no burns and remained strapped to their seats, likely due to the armored cockpit door.

The retired general challenged authorities to examine the aircraft’s black boxes and exhume the victims’ bodies for explosive residue testing to determine the true cause of the disaster.

Ali-Keffi alleges that Attahiru was targeted because of his efforts to combat corruption and sabotage within the military. The late COAS had reportedly ordered a forensic audit of Army funds and equipment and was scheduled to act on its findings three days after his death, on May 24, 2021. Ali-Keffi questioned the whereabouts of this critical report.

As OSW chief, Ali-Keffi’s team had uncovered massive diversion of counter-terrorism funds and had arrested terror financiers allegedly laundering money for senior military and government officials.

He further disclosed that Attahiru had confided in him about a suspected intelligence leak at Army Headquarters (AHQ). After notifying his superiors about Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau’s location in Maiduguri, an unsecured directive was sent out to capture Shekau, who then escaped. Attahiru suspected a tip-off from someone within the military. Ali-Keffi also said Attahiru had intelligence suggesting that one of his sector commanders was allegedly bribing Boko Haram fighters to avoid attacks.

Ali-Keffi recounted, “Gen. Attahiru narrated how, as Theatre Commander, he received intelligence that Shekau was hiding in Maiduguri. He informed a superior at AHQ, who appeared shocked and incoherent. Later, a message was sent directing him to capture Shekau, but the militants had already fled. Attahiru suspected a leak, possibly from a senior officer whose godson was involved.”

He added that Attahiru warned him to avoid a particular retired senior officer, describing the individual as engaged in harmful or “diabolical” activities. Ali-Keffi said Attahiru consistently referred to this officer only as “that man,” speaking with a sense of dread whenever his name arose.

The retired general also criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the National Air Accident Investigation Board (AIB) report, noting that more than four years after the tragedy, the full report has never been released. The AIB submitted an interim report in September 2021, containing 27 findings and eight safety recommendations, but further investigation was suspended in May 2022 due to lack of cooperation, with the military retaining control over its release.