ASHENEWS reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condoled the families of the officers and soldiers who lost their lives in NAF helicopter crash in Niger state.
ASHENEWS recalls that the helicopter reported to be on a mission to rescue some injured soldiers in Chukuba village of Shiroro local government area of Niger state, crash following attack by bandits.
President Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday, said “These officers and men were answering the call of duty while on an evacuation mission. In their dedicated service to our beloved country, they paid the ultimate price.
“They will always be remembered as courageous men who did not consider the perils and dangers of their national duty as paramount to their sacred mandate of ensuring that their fellow countrymen and women can live in peace,” the statement reads in parts.
Read the full statement below:
The tragic loss of our gallant officers and soldiers in a helicopter crash at Chukuba village near Shiroro, Niger State, yesterday, brought immense sadness to me.
These officers and men were answering the call of duty while on an evacuation mission. In their dedicated service to our beloved country, they paid the ultimate price.
While we mourn their untimely departure, we will forever remember them, not just as servicemen, but as national heroes who gave their all for the peace and security of our country.
They will always be remembered as courageous men who did not consider the perils and dangers of their national duty as paramount to their sacred mandate of ensuring that their fellow countrymen and women can live in peace.
We salute their sacrifice, devotion and loyalty to our dear nation – the nation they loved and served to the end.
On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May God grant them eternal rest.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria
August 15, 2023
