Worried by the spate of military plane crashes in the country, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called for a thorough probe on the fleet of military planes. In the interim, the Council wants all the planes grounded pending the outcome of the investigation which will ascertain the airworthiness of the military air fleet.
The NYCN in separate condolence letters signed by its President, Solomon Adodo, and addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Air Staff over the death of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others in a plane crash in Kaduna state, Friday, mourned the deceased and prayed that God will grant them eternal rest.
“The NYCN received with shock the news of the plane crash that claimed the life of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 others who were on an official assignment in Kaduna State to attend the passing out parade at the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria. We sincerely condole with the families of our fallen heroes and pray to God to grant them strength.
“We are equally worried that in the spate of three months, we have had three different military planes crashing. Over 20 military officers have lost their lives in 3 crashes across the country. This is totally unacceptable to the youth. Recall that on February 21, 2021 a Minna-bound military jet crashed, killing all 7 on board. In less than 6 weeks, particularly on April 2, 2021, another Alpha Light Attack Jet went missing in the air, and later reported crashed. And in another 7 weeks, May 21, 2021, yet another crash of a military aircraft, this time killing the Chief of Army Staff and other senior officers.
“No military anywhere in the world should pretend that it is okay to record plane crashes on bi-monthly bases. And no country or a people can accept that. We therefore demand the result of earlier investigations published and a military Committee of Enquiry empanelled to investigate the incessant crashes. Also, the military should immediately address the root cause of these crashes and assure Nigerians that military aircrafts are reliable once again.
“While we acknowledge that several factors could lead to planes crashing, the manner and frequency of these crashes have no doubt given a blow to the fight against terror in our dear nation.
“Consequently, we demand grounding of all military planes for a thorough investigation to be carried out to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of these crashes to forestall their reoccurrence.”
