The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, confirmed the crash of its MI-171 helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission in Niger State.
Unconfirmed report said the terrorists shutdown the helicopter in kukoki community, in shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
However, Edward Gabkwet, spokesperson of NAF, in a statement said the helicopter crashed at about 1 pm near Chukuba village in Shiroro LGA of the state.
He said the aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna, but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba village.
“A Nigerian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed today, 14 August 2023 at about 1.00 pm near Chukuba village in Niger state,” the statement reads.
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“The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger state.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to rescue the crew and passengers on board the helicopter, while preliminary investigations have commenced to determine the probable cause of the crash.”
Multiply sources said the crashed Chopper was on a mission to evacuate the bodies of an Army Major,11 soldiers and yet to be ascertained number of local vigilance members killed by terrorists in Zungeru.
Eight others soldiers were also injured during the gun duel to took place on Sunday.
The terrorists numbering about 70 and armed with sophisticated weapons had laid ambush on the soldiers. The soldiers were said to have eliminated over 30 of the insurgents.
It was gathered that the soldiers were ambushed while on their way to respond to a distress call from Akare community, where the terrorists had gone to rustle cattle. It was gathered further that the soldiers were given wrong information on the movement of the bandits, hence they ran into the ambush.
According to a source close to the community, about 30 of gunmen were killed in the encounter with their bodies left in the forest the injured were carried away by members of their gang into the bush.
It was gathered that bodies of the slain soldiers were deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Zingeru, before they were evacuated on Monday morning to an unknown destination.
Also, a source said five persons including a one-year-old child were killed while about 15 people were abducted by gunmen from New Bussa, Borgu Local Government, Chibani, Shiroro Local Government and Zagzaga in Munya Local Government areas.
As a result of the incident, civilians in Akere, Wushishi and neighbouring communities have fled their homes and were taking refuge in Zungeru town.
When contacted, an Army officer at the 31 Artillery Brigade in Minna, said: “We are not allowed to speak to the press, please contact Abuja.”
Convener, Shiroro Concerned Youths, Mr. Sanni Kokki, confirmed the attacks in a telephone interview with our Correspondents in Abuja, describing the incidents as unfortunate.
Kokki said,”As we speak, villagers living around the area are moving in their large numbers towards Erena. This is another problem because people are being displaced from their ancestral homes to unknown destinations.We are having another humanitarian crisis on our hands with the economic challenges confronting our people.”
When contacted, Senator representing Niger East, Mr. Mohammed Sani Musa, described the situation as highly unfortunate and called on the Federal Government to despatch its military and security arsenals to the troubled areas to save innocent lives and their property.
Musa said, “This is a very serious situation happening at a time we were happy thinking that banditry was subsiding in our various communities. The FG, should as a matter of urgency, deploy all its arsenal in order to curtail further spread.
“We have been having a reduction in cases of attacks but now it appear as if there is a serious escalation of the situation. The most alarming situation now is that the attacks look like a planned work because the bandits were carrying out their operations simultaneously in many parts of the state. The government should please, as a matter of urgency, take a drastic action on it and save lives and property of our people.”
Meanwhile palpable fear has gripped the people of Wushishi, Zungru and neighbouring communities following heavy deployment of security to the area to fish out the criminals responsible for the attacks as they were said to be stranded in the bush with their rustled cattle and injured colleagues.
