Two Nigerian military planes were involved in an accident while rehearsing for an air display but nobody was killed, an air force spokesman said on Friday.
A tweet on the official handle of the Nigerian Airforce quoted Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relation (DOPRII) confirmed “that an air incident involving 2 Nigerian Air Force aircraft taking part in the rehearsals for the 58th Independence Day Celebrations occurred this morning in Abuja. Details will be communicated later.”
Reuters reported witnesses as seeing the wings of the planes collide in the air over the capital, Abuja, with at least one of the aircraft crashing into a hill in the Mpape district of the city. One witness, Fabian Iduh, said he saw three or four people descend to the ground in parachutes.
Reuters could not immediately verify whether there were any casualties.
Nigeria is due to celebrate the anniversary of the country’s independence from British colonial rule on Oct. 1.