Detimbir Chia, the 14-year-old boy who discovered the site of a Nigerian air
force jet that crashed in 2006, has joined the army. On Saturday October 6 2018, Chia graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) after spending four years, and was decorated as a 2nd lieutenant, the lowest rank of a commissioned officer in the Nigerian army.
The incident all happened on September 17, 2006, when an aircraft conveying 15 senior military officers and three crew members crashed into a hill in a remote village in Kwande local government area of Benue.The officers were on their way to Obudu cattle ranch in Cross River, to attend aretreat when the Dornier 228-212,crashed.
The plane had on board eight major-generals, two brigadier-generals, two wing commanders, one lieutenantcolonel, and three crew members.Chia, who was working at his family farm
not far from the scene of the incident, called his father with the phone of one
of the victims. Thirteen lives were lost in the tragic incident, with five survivors.
Late Patrick Owoye Azazi, then chief of
army staff under ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo, had asked Chai what he wanted
to become.
He had replied, “a soldier”, and Azazi
promised to help him secure admission
into the NDA.
Azazi was said to have missed death as
he decided not to go with the senior
officers when he found out that the
plane was already full. He would later
die in a helicopter crash on December
15, 2012.
The officers who died in the crash J.O. Adesunloye, S.O Otubu, J.O Agboola, S.M Lemu, A.N Bamali, P.M Haruna, J.T.U Ahmedu and B. Duniya, all major-generals.Others were Y.J Braimah, M.B Bawa, and wing commanders O. Balogun. EO Adekunle (pilot) and lieutenant-colonel
N.A Mohammed, brigadier-generals.
Luther Agwai, then chief of defence staff, said the 13 officers represented some of the best in the Nigerian military.
During the 10th year remembrance anniversary of the fallen heroes, Agwai said the Nigeria may have surmounted its insurgency crises if the officers were alive.
force jet that crashed in 2006, has joined the army. On Saturday October 6 2018, Chia graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) after spending four years, and was decorated as a 2nd lieutenant, the lowest rank of a commissioned officer in the Nigerian army.
 |
| Officer cadet Chia 66rc Pass out parade |
The incident all happened on September 17, 2006, when an aircraft conveying 15 senior military officers and three crew members crashed into a hill in a remote village in Kwande local government area of Benue.The officers were on their way to Obudu cattle ranch in Cross River, to attend aretreat when the Dornier 228-212,crashed.
The plane had on board eight major-generals, two brigadier-generals, two wing commanders, one lieutenantcolonel, and three crew members.Chia, who was working at his family farm
not far from the scene of the incident, called his father with the phone of one
of the victims. Thirteen lives were lost in the tragic incident, with five survivors.
 |
| Chia in Nda @ Termer 1 |
Late Patrick Owoye Azazi, then chief of
army staff under ex-President Olusegun
Obasanjo, had asked Chai what he wanted
to become.
He had replied, “a soldier”, and Azazi
promised to help him secure admission
into the NDA.
Azazi was said to have missed death as
he decided not to go with the senior
officers when he found out that the
plane was already full. He would later
die in a helicopter crash on December
15, 2012.
The officers who died in the crash J.O. Adesunloye, S.O Otubu, J.O Agboola, S.M Lemu, A.N Bamali, P.M Haruna, J.T.U Ahmedu and B. Duniya, all major-generals.Others were Y.J Braimah, M.B Bawa, and wing commanders O. Balogun. EO Adekunle (pilot) and lieutenant-colonel
N.A Mohammed, brigadier-generals.
Luther Agwai, then chief of defence staff, said the 13 officers represented some of the best in the Nigerian military.
During the 10th year remembrance anniversary of the fallen heroes, Agwai said the Nigeria may have surmounted its insurgency crises if the officers were alive.
“I can make bold to say that if theyCongratulations to the Hero.
were around, may be some of the
challenges that we are facing today
wouldn’t have gotten to the level that
they reached”, Agwai said in 2016.
“Their death up to their burial was one
of the most trying, most difficult time
I ever had in my career. And if you
remember my military career, I have
been involved in Sierra-Leone, Dafur,
but all what I saw there did not
traumatize me like what happened to
these people because these were officers
that I knew personally.”
-Agwai
No comments:
Post a Comment