August 15, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) MI-171 Helicopter, which crashed on Monday afternoon, in Niger State, was actually conveying some troops wounded in a gun battle with terrorists to a military hospital in Kaduna State.
THEWILL gathered that the ill-fated aircraft was actually on evacuation missions airlifting injured troops, who had engaged bandits at some communities in Rafi, Wushishi, and Lavun local governments.
Quoting credible military sources, a report by PRNigeria, dismissed insinuations that the helicopter was gunned down by armed bandits in the Shiroro local government area of the State.
The bandits had killed some locals and also rustled their cattle between Sunday and Monday, in Rafi, Wushishi and other communities in Lavun local governments.
It was gathered that the air component and ground troops had responded to distress calls put on by members of the raided communities and engaged the bandits.
An intelligence source told PRNigeria that the bandits mostly on motorcycles were raiding some communities when the military responded.
“It was quite a hectic day in the counterterrorism campaigns as the bandits were raiding different villages simultaneously and rustling hundreds of cattle.
“We responded decisively against the bandits at the Jiwawa axis, while we also another group at a community in Wushisi LGA early in the morning.
“Surprisingly, while the operations were going on, we got more distress calls that the bandits had infiltrated other communities in Lavun and Rafi local governments.
“Troops and vigilantes that were mobilised exchanged gunfire on their routes including at Zungeru-Kontagora road.
“The operations were very successful before the crash of the helicopter which was on a casualty evacuation mission after picking injured troops in Niger on its way to a military hospital in Kaduna”, the source said.
NAF spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet, also confirmed the crash in a statement on Monday.
“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”, he said.
Asked to clarify the conflicting reports about the crash, Gabkwet said, “We are not good at hiding information and we don’t believe in that. If there is anything we feel Nigerians should know, we will let them know.
“But, as we said in our statement, we are still investigating.”
