Fresh Evidence has emerged indicating that the MI-171 Fighter Helicopter belonging to the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) en route to Kaduna but crashed in Niger State did not actually crash but was shot down by bandits.
According to further report, the bandits also killed the pilot as well as other thirteen soldiers.
On August 14, 2023, the spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet released a statement said that the aircraft left Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed in a village in Shiroro local government area of Niger.
He said: “A Nigerian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed today, August 14, 2023, at about 1.1.00 pm Chukuba Village in Niger State.
“The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route 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”.
However, the villagers who witnessed the crash, reported that bandits actually invaded the village and killed 13 Soldiers.
In the course of the invasion, they also brought down the fighter helicopter and killed the pilot.
Reporting on the incident during a telephone interview with journalists on Monday, the Convener of Shiroro Concerned Youths, Mr. Sanni Kokki, confirmed the incident.
Mr. Kokki also said that the bandits ambushed and killed 13 soldiers along the Zungeru-Tegina road in Madaka Ward of Rafi Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, fearing for their lives, the villagers living around the area began a mass exodus moving towards Erena as military personnel arrive in droves to take on the bandits.
“This is another problem again because people are being displaced from their traditional homes to unknown destinations.
“We are having another humanitarian crisis on our hands with the economic challenges confronting our people,” Kokki said.
He, therefore, called on the federal government to come to the aid of the local residents in the troubled areas in order to save innocent lives and their property.
Meanwhile, villagers in the Chukuba community of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger have fled to neighbouring areas of Erena, Zumba and Gwada in Shiroro, following the NAF helicopter crash in their area.
Akilu Ishaku, Chairman, Shiroro Local Government, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna on Monday.
