Controversy has surrounded the deaths of at least eleven military men around Chukuba Ward in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The argument sprang from varying claims as to the root cause of their deaths.
An ill-fated Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter that took off from Zungeru in Niger State to Kaduna crashed with purported eleven military men aboard killed.
In turn, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, attributed the crash to bad weather.
However, to suspected notorious terrorist, Dogo Gide, and his members, crash of the helicopter and consequent deaths of the occupants was their making.
They laid claim to it in a video of the scene, a terrible spectacle with bodies of the military men and the helicopter wreck in it.
The narrator who spoke in Hausa said, “These are bodies belonging to soldiers of the Nigerian Army who attacked us with the intention of causing us harm.
“They did this to see the downfall of Dogo Gide and by God’s grace, he is still alive and won’t die.
“These are dozens of soldiers as you can see them. This is their airplane. Repent, we have no business with anyone except those who try to come for us. This is God’s work. We used an AK-47 to bring down this plane.
“Take a look at them. Let this be a lesson. You all should repent. It is not our intention to kill but for everyone to be enlightened and have the fear of God. Leaders who sent these soldiers our way to be killed by us should repent.
“We won’t surrender from pressure or even an aeroplane. Dogo Gide, who is their target, won’t die now. He is still alive. These are the AK-47s we used to bring down this plane.
“We opened fire when we sighted them and they did the same. Repent and fear God. We pray for God’s mercy at all times. This is God’s work and not ours as you can see.”
