The Nigeria Air Force has officially released the names of seven personnel who died in the ill-fated aircraft that crashed near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway in Abuja, Sunday.
The New Diplomat had reported Beechcraft KingAir B350i crashed while en route Minna, Niger state.
NAF spokesperson, Ibikunle Daramola published the names of the personnel in a statement on Sunday.
NAF gave the names of deceased officers and their rank as Haruna Gadzama, flight lieutenant (plane pilot); Henry Piyo, co-pilot and flight lieutenant; Micheal Okpara, a flying officer and airborne tactical observation system (ATOS) specialist; Bassey Etim, a warrant officer (ATOS Specialist);
Others are Olasunkanmi Olawunmi, a flight sergeant (ATOS Specialist)Ugochukwu Oluka, a sergeant (ATOS Specialist); and Adewale Johnson, an aircraftman (onboard technician)
Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, had confirmed that the aircraft crashed as a result of an engine failure.
“As earlier stated, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, has instituted an investigative panel to determine the remote and immediate causes of the accident,” he said.
“While the panel has commenced its work, the NAF, having notified the Next of Kins/family members of the deceased, regretfully announces that the following 7 personnel lost their lives in the crash.”
According to the NAF spokesperson, the military plane was on a mission to conduct surveillance over Niger and its environs as part of efforts to secure the release of students abducted from Government Science College, Kagara in Rafi Local Government Area of the state.
