After receiving gunfire from attackers, a Nigerian military helicopter crashed

Witnesses said on Wednesday that people on board a Nigerian helicopter assigned to rescue military soldiers from an assault, which crashed after being shot upon by gunmen in the North Central Region, were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the Nigerian Air Force, the MI-171 Helicopter was on a “casualty evacuation mission” in Niger State, one of the states most severely affected by the assaults carried out by bandit groups in the country’s north. The air force noted that the cause of the incident is still under investigation. It did not, however, provide any information on the victims of the tragedy that happened on Monday.

Locals informed the AP that the chopper was reportedly shot down by bandits in the state’s Shiroro area. The majority of the bandit bands are made up of former herders who, after decades of conflict with the agricultural communities over access to scarce lands and water, have finally taken up guns.

Tuesday night, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu lamented the loss of the soldiers and stated, “In their loyal devotion to our dear nation, they paid the ultimate price.

Videos that seemed to have been shot there showed people lying around a burned-out chopper while guys brandished firearms and bragged about the accident.A youth representative from Shriroro, Banged Kudos, told the AP that “they (the gunmen) have held our people hostage and are now taking over the villages.” He also said that the assault that resulted in the crash and the death of at least 20 military members.

Another local, Samailu Same, said that Dogo Gide, one of the gang bosses who has been known to avoid military airstrikes and arrests for years, was in charge of the assault.

Witnesses said that on Wednesday, a Nigerian helicopter that had been despatched to save military soldiers from a deadly assault crashed after being shot upon by militants in the north central area, killing everyone on board.

One village had been assaulted by bandits. and there they murdered a lot of troops. The jet that arrived to transport the gunned-down victims’ lifeless corpses, according to Samu.

The event may make Nigeria’s security operations in volatile zones more challenging. Despite making it a top priority of his government, Tinubu, who was elected president this year, has been ineffective in stopping these murderous assaults on marginalized groups.