Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika confirmed the crash in a tweet on Sunday.

He said, the King Air 350 crashed on the runway at the Abuja airport enroute Minna, the Niger State capital, adding that the crash appears fatal.

He tweeted: “A military aircraft King Air 350 has just crashed short of our Abuja runway after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. It appears to be fatal. We should remain calm & wait for the outcome of investigation by the military, while we pray for the departed soul/souls if any.”

Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarter, Nigeria Air Force, also tweeted on the incident, saying “This is to confirm that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft crashed while returning to the Abuja Airport after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. First responders are at the scene. Sadly, all 7 personnel on board died in the crash”.

According to him, the “Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), @CAS_IOAmao, has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident. While urging the general public to remain calm & await the outcome of investigation, the CAS, on behalf of all NAF personnel, commiserates with the families of the deceased”.

Via Ripples Nigeria