By Fatima Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that terrorists, allegedly loyal to bandits kingpin, Abubakar Abdallah, popularly known as Dogo Gide have claimed responsibility for the crash of a Nigerian Air Force helicopter which crashed on Monday in Badna village under Kwaki, Chukuba ward in Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
ASHENEWS earlier reported that the plane, a Mi-171 helicopter that was on a rescue mission from Zungeru, in the Wushishi local government area of Niger State, according to the NAF crashed, due to yet-to-be-identified reasons.
Edward Gabkwet, NAF spokesperson in a statement released on Monday said that the helicopter, which was on a ” casualty evacuation mission” crashed around 01:00 pm on Monday after take-off from Zungeru.
“The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route for Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State,” Gabkwet said in the statement.
However, a video obtained by ASHENEWS on Tuesday night, allegedly recorded by the terrorist on the scene of the crash showed the debris of the helicopter as well as bodies allegedly belonging to the slain soldiers.
In the 2 minutes 17 seconds video, one of the terrorists said that they shot down the helicopter with their AK-47 rifles.
“These are corpses belonging to soldiers of the Nigerian Army who attacked us with the intention of causing us harm. They did this to see the downfall of Dogo Gide and by God’s grace, he is still alive and won’t die,” the terrorist said at the beginning of the video.
In the video, debris from the burnt helicopter could be seen alongside dozens of corpses.
Some of the terrorists also appeared in the video.
“These are dozens of soldiers as you can see them. This is their airplane.
“Repent, we have no business with anyone except those who try to come for us. This is God’s work, we used an AK-47 to bring down this plane.
“Take a look at them. Let this be a lesson, you all should repent. It is not our intention to kill but for everyone to be enlightened and have the fear of God.
Leaders who sent these soldiers our way to be killed by us should repent.
“We won’t surrender from pressure or even an airplane. Dogo Gide who is their target won’t die now. He is still alive,” the terrorist boasted in Hausa.
