A Nigerian Air Force aircraft has been involved in a crash during its flight from Kaduna to Minna, the capital of Niger State.
The incident occurred as the aircraft was en route to its destination, with reports emerging on Monday about the unfortunate incident.
The crash was confirmed by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, in an official statement released on Monday.
The details surrounding the crash, including the cause and potential casualties, are currently being investigated by relevant authorities.
According to the statement, the aircraft initially took off from Zungeru Primary School and was heading to Kaduna. However, it later crashed in a village located within the 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.”
The NAF public relations officer added that 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,”