Sources told our correspondent on Monday that the aircraft took off from Kaduna en route to Minna, the Niger state capital when the incident occurred.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Monday by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, he said the aircraft departed Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed in a village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger.
It partly read, “A Nigerian Air Force MI-171 Helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed today, August 14, 2023, at about 1.1.00 pm Chukuba Village in Niger State.
“The aircraft had departed Zungeru Primary School en route Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed near Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.”
Gabkwet said efforts are ongoing to rescue the pilots and passengers on board.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to rescue the crew and passengers on board the helicopter, while preliminary investigations have commenced to determine the probable cause of the crash,” the statement added.
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