Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Terrorists have claimed responsibility for the Monday’s surveillance helicopter crash in Badna, Chukuba ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. The Nigeria Air Force had said its MI-171 helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed on Monday near Chukuba village in Niger State and that investigation had commenced to determine the probable cause of the incident. But terrorists, in a two-minute-and-seventeen-second video, on Tuesday claimed they brought down the jet using AK47 rifle. Daily Trust Fact-Check team used different tools to verify the video which returned with no similar search. This means that the video is new on the internet. It may not be deep fake; therefore, the chances of it being authentic are likely and high. The narrator in the video, who spoke in Hausa, said they belonged to Dogo Gide group, one of the notorious bandits that had terrorised parts of Niger State, causing deaths of many farmers and security operatives. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, yesterday cleared air on helicopters’ crashes, citing seasonal challenges which are weather conditions. He spoke in his office at NAF headquarters, Abuja, when Niger State governor, Umar Bago, paid him a condolence visit over the killing of soldiers in the state. Responding, Governor Bago appealed to NAF not to be tired of fighting insurgents, urging the air chief to send some detachment and some fighter planes to Minna airport for quick interference when the enemies are advancing.