An Mi-171 transport helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has crashed after apparently coming under fire from bandits.
NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said the aircraft crashed near Chukuba village in the Shiroro local government area of Niger state on 14 August.
According to Reuters, military sources said bandits had fired at the helicopter that had been sent to evacuate victims of an attack on Sunday that killed at least 10 soldiers. Some sources suggest 23 soldiers were killed in the ambush and eight injured.
Gabkwet said efforts were ongoing to rescue the crew and passengers on board the helicopter while preliminary investigations have commenced to determine the probable cause of the crash.
Armed gangs are active across Nigeria’s northwest where they rob and kidnap for ransom as well as burn homes after looting them. Thousands of people have been killed in attacks in recent years. The gangs maintain numerous camps in the forests of the Niger, Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina states.
Although it is not yet confirmed that the Mi-171 helicopter was shot down by bandits, nevertheless, the non-state actors have possessed such capability for quite a while. For instance, in April 2021, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Dassault Dornier Alpha jet trainer and light attack aircraft on routine mission in support of troops of the Theatres of Operation in the Northern part of Nigeria was shot down by bandits.
The wreckage of the Alpha Jet aircraft was found in Sambisa Forest, Borno State almost a year ago.
Last year April, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed in Kaduna, Kaduna State when carrying out a training flight from the Nigerian Air Force’s 401 Flight Training School.
The Nigerian Air Force took delivery of the first Mi-171E with registration 581, which was later inducted into service on 6 February. A second helicopter was received from Serbia, to boost its counter-terrorism fight in the Northeastern region.