BIAFRA NEWS: Buhari has appointed Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi as the new Chief of Army Staff in acting capacity.

 

On Friday 21st May 2021, news broke that a military airplane had crashed in Kaduna state, Nigeria, killing the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other senior officers.

On Saturday, the late Chief of Army Staff was interred at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja,

Also interred were Acting Chief of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Abdulkadir Kuliya; Chief of Staff to the late COAS, Brigadier General Mohammed Idris Abdulkadir; Brigadier General Olatunji Lukman Olayinka, Aide-De-Camp to the COAS, Major Lawal Aliyu Hayat, and Major Nura Hamza.

Others were the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Taiwo Olufemi Asaniyi, Flight Lieutenant Alfred Ayodeji Olufade, Sergeant Opeyemi Isaiah Adesina, Sergeant Umar Saidu and Aircraftman (ACM) Olamide Matthew Oyedepo.

President Muhammadu Buhari described the officers’ death as a national tragedy and this was a trying period for the country, given that the dead officers were among the nation’s finest.

Amid the mourning of these military officers, several news blogs had reported that the President appointed Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi as the new Chief of Army Staff in acting capacity.

“Following the death of Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi as the new Chief of Army Staff in acting capacity.

“NaijaOnPoint.com (TNG) reports the appointment of Major General Ali-Keffi as acting Chief of Army Staff was confirmed late Saturday.

“Until his appointment, Ali-Keffi was the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, who took over from Maj. General Usman Muhammad two months ago.

“He assumed duty as the 37th GOC 1 Division, Nigerian Army, in Kaduna State in March.

“TNG reports Alli-Keffi hails from Nasarawa State. He is a member of 38 Regular Course, trained in Mogadishu Battalion in the Academy. He is an alumnus of Bangladesh Defence College.” 

Who is Maj.-Gen Danjuma Alli-Keffi

Checks by The Nation revealed that Maj.-Gen Danjuma Alli-Keffi, assumed duty as the 37th General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, on Thursday, March 11 in Kaduna.

Alli-Keffi took over from Maj.-Gen. Usman Muhammed who has been redeployed to Defence Headquarters as the new Director Research and Development Bureau.

Both the new GOC and his predecessor were members of regular course 38 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.