“Attahiru Was Deliberately Eliminated, Not Victim of a Plane Crash” – Retired General Ali-Keffi

A retired Nigerian Army major general has alleged that the 2021 air disaster that killed Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru was not an accident but a targeted killing. Speaking publicly about the incident, Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi claimed the late Chief of Army Staff died in what he believes was a deliberate explosion aboard the aircraft as it approached Kaduna International Airport on May 21, 2021.

Attahiru and 10 other military personnel were en route to Kaduna when their aircraft went down. Ali-Keffi said his suspicions were shaped by his conversations with Attahiru in the months before the incident, recounting that the Army chief often spoke of internal hostility, unresolved grievances with powerful figures, and signs of operational sabotage during his previous commands. He said Attahiru felt unfairly targeted during operations in the northeast, including instances where sensitive intelligence appeared to have leaked from higher headquarters.

Ali-Keffi also alleged that Attahiru uncovered troubling practices within the counterinsurgency structure, including reports that a sector commander was paying Boko Haram fighters to avoid attacks. According to him, the late COAS had authorised a forensic audit of Army finances and equipment shortly after assuming office and was expected to act on the findings three days after his death. He questioned what became of the audit.

The retired general further claimed that several individuals arrested during his time leading Operation Service Wide were laundering funds on behalf of senior officials, alleging widespread diversion of money earmarked for counterterrorism.

Describing the crash, Ali-Keffi said his observations at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna convinced him the aircraft exploded just above ground level. He said some victims had injuries consistent with a blast, while the pilots’ bodies appeared largely intact, suggesting the cockpit may have been shielded from the worst impact. He argued that a full review of the aircraft’s black boxes and forensic tests on the bodies could help determine whether an explosive device was involved.

He also questioned why the full investigation report by the National Air Accident Investigation Board has never been released, noting that only an interim report submitted in 2021 has been acknowledged publicly.

Ali-Keffi maintains that the combination of Attahiru’s disputes within the military hierarchy, the financial audit he initiated, and unanswered questions surrounding the crash continue to fuel doubts about the official explanation.