A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter crashed in Jarenga village, near
Yola, at about 9:00pm on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses said a series of explosions accompanied the crash, causing
panic. While locals who helped at the scene said four people died, a Defence
Headquarters statement yesterday said three people died. The statement also
said it was a NAF ground attack helicopter that crashed around Federal
University of Technology, Yola, in Adamawa State.
“Rescuers worked throughout the night until Friday morning to preserve the wreckage and and scene of the accident for proper investigation to be carried out,” the statement said, adding that further details will be made known later.”
When Weekly Trust visited the scene, soldiers had cordoned off the crash site. Metal objects, bullet shells and partially burnt U.S dollar notes were scattered around a large crater.
A local who assisted military personnel in removing body parts of victims as well as scattered debris, said he heard soldiers saying those on board include two expatriates and two Nigerian military personnel, noting that it appeared some explosive material was found few around the wreckage. He told Weekly Trust that two aircraft were flying past when one of them suddenly caught fire after an explosion.
Students of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, about 5 kilometers from the crash site, fled. One of them said they assumed the explosions signalled a bomb attack on their campus.
Meanwhile a statement by media consultant PRNigeria said yesterday that since the Boko Haram campaign of terror went full-scale in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, the Nigerian Air Force has flown at least 6,000 missions in efforts to rid the zone of insurgency. The missions, aiming to decimate, degrade, destabilise and demoralise Boko Haram terrorists, comprised ground attacks platforms, mission on ATR-42, Beechcraft air surveillance platform, airlift missions using the G-222 and the C-130H.
Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu said at a recent forum at the University of Ibadan that scope of the operations included airlift of troops and equipment, rotation of forces, battlefield interdiction, casualty evacuation, air surveillance Operations and armed reconnaissance Missions among other operations, the statement said.
This is the second time a military aircraft
“Rescuers worked throughout the night until Friday morning to preserve the wreckage and and scene of the accident for proper investigation to be carried out,” the statement said, adding that further details will be made known later.”
When Weekly Trust visited the scene, soldiers had cordoned off the crash site. Metal objects, bullet shells and partially burnt U.S dollar notes were scattered around a large crater.
A local who assisted military personnel in removing body parts of victims as well as scattered debris, said he heard soldiers saying those on board include two expatriates and two Nigerian military personnel, noting that it appeared some explosive material was found few around the wreckage. He told Weekly Trust that two aircraft were flying past when one of them suddenly caught fire after an explosion.
Students of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, about 5 kilometers from the crash site, fled. One of them said they assumed the explosions signalled a bomb attack on their campus.
Meanwhile a statement by media consultant PRNigeria said yesterday that since the Boko Haram campaign of terror went full-scale in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe, the Nigerian Air Force has flown at least 6,000 missions in efforts to rid the zone of insurgency. The missions, aiming to decimate, degrade, destabilise and demoralise Boko Haram terrorists, comprised ground attacks platforms, mission on ATR-42, Beechcraft air surveillance platform, airlift missions using the G-222 and the C-130H.
Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu said at a recent forum at the University of Ibadan that scope of the operations included airlift of troops and equipment, rotation of forces, battlefield interdiction, casualty evacuation, air surveillance Operations and armed reconnaissance Missions among other operations, the statement said.
This is the second time a military aircraft
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