A Nigerian military helicopter on surveillance mission has
crashed in Damare, a suburb of Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa
state.
A resident, Jamilu Inuwa, said he saw the chopper go down.
“The helicopter crashed in Damare,” he said. “I don’t know if it is a military plane or not.” he said.
A Yola-based journalist however told PREMIUM TIMES he had
it on good authority that the helicopter was on surveillance mission and
was carrying arms and ammunition.
He said he was further told that there were some foreigners aboard.
“Immediately after the crash, soldiers were drafted to the scene to cordon off the scene,” the journalist told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Inuwa also said the scene of the crash is not far from
the temporary camp of the National Youth Service Corps which is serving
as a base for the internally displaced persons [IDPs] in the state.
The spokesperson of the Defence headquarters, Chris Olukolade, a
Major General, could not be reached for comments just as the
spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force, Dele Alonge. They did not
answer or return calls
News of the helicopter crash came about two months after a
Nigerian Air Force fighter jet, went missing during routine operations
in the northern part of Adamawa State.
The aircraft, an Alpha Jet (NAF 466) was involved in the counter insurgency operation against the extremist Boko Haram sect.
The whereabouts of the missing Alpha Jet had become a subject of conjectures following the inability of the Nigeria Air Force to tell Nigerians what actually happened to the fighter jet.
Boko Haram insurgents later claimed shooting the aircraft down in a video in which they appeared to slaughter one of the pilots of the missing Alpha Jet.
But last week, local fishermen claimed they found wreckages of the jet which disappeared on September 12, in the River Benue.
The fishermen said they found the aircraft at Kwa Ine Village, Demsa Local Government, Adamawa State about 50 kilometers away from Yola, the state capital.
Details later…
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