A new book released in Abuja on Tuesday has disclosed that in November 2015, six months after assuming office as Nigeria’s president, Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s plane nearly crashed while en route to the Island of Malta for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The book, titled ‘Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023)’ and written by Femi Adesina, narrates that the presidential jet encountered severe turbulence, lasting for an extended period during the flight.
The turbulence was reportedly so intense that upon landing in Malta, a visibly frightened President Buhari questioned the pilot about the landing quality. The pilot promptly apologized to the President and the other passengers, explaining that the incident was caused by wind shear, a sudden change in the direction of the wind.
The book, specifically Chapter 21 titled “Over 50 foreign trips… and a health scare,” provides details on Buhari’s extensive foreign travels during his eight-year tenure as president. It notes that Buhari officially visited 94 countries, with the highest number of trips recorded in 2016 (19 trips), followed by 18 in 2022, 16 in 2015, and 12 in 2018.
