Heavily armed terrorists have claimed responsibility for Nigeria Air Force’s surveillance helicopter that crashed in Badna, Chukuba ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Monday.
The terrorists made the claim in a two-minute-seventeen-second video released on Wednesday.
The Nigeria Air Force had said its MI-171 helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed on Monday near Chukuba village in Niger State and that investigation had commenced to determine the probable cause of the accident.
It was gathered that the aircraft was transporting injured troops wounded in a battle against terrorists to a military hospital in Kaduna State.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, while meeting with Niger State governor in his office, Abuja, stated that weather conditions, among others, may have contributed to the helicopter crash, adding that investigation had commenced to determine the probable cause of the incident.
But in the video which looked fresh and authentic, the terrorists said they shot down the military helicopter with an AK47 weapon.
The narrator in the video, who spoke Hausa, said the terrorists responsible for the take down belonged to Dogo Gide group, one of the notorious bandits that had terrorised parts of Niger State, causing deaths of many farmers and security operatives.
It was gathered that there had been ongoing counter terrorism efforts in the axis which had lead to the death of 53 terrorists during the gun-duel
It was also learnt that a day before the crash, the Nigerian soldiers had been ambushed and about 20 of them had been killed along the Zungeru-Tegina Road.
