Nigerian Army Chief Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru died in an aircraft crash on Friday, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed in its Twitter account.
"The Nigerian Army regrets to announce the passing away of its Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru. The sad event occurred following an air crash in Kaduna which also claimed the lives of 10 other officers including the crew", the statement said.
According to the army, the crashed plane was en route from Abuja to Kaduna.
Earlier in the day, the death of Attahiru was reported by Reuters.
The country's air force released a statement on the crash shortly before the reports emerged, saying that it occurred near Kaduna International Airport. The cause of the incident remains unknown.
The air force had not initially provided any details on casualties or damage caused by the crash.
No further details were immediately available.
Kaduna is a city in northwestern Nigeria, and a state capital of Kaduna State.