ABUJA, 22 May, 2021, (TON): Nigeria's army chief, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, died in a plane crash on Friday during an official visit to the northern state of Kaduna, which has had security challenges in recent months, the presidency said. 

The air force said in a statement that its plane crashed near the Kaduna airport and that it was investigating the cause. 

Eleven crew and officers aboard a Nigerian military plane were killed when the plane crashed. 

The air force said the plane crashed near Kaduna Airport and that it was investigating. 

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, described the crash as a "mortal blow ... at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country." 

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, has had a poor air safety record in the past, although it has improved in recent years. It was the third air force plane crash in three months. 

President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Attahiru alongside other military chiefs in January after years of mounting criticism over spreading violence by armed groups.