By RITA ILIYA

Villagers in Chukuba community of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger have fled to neighbouring areas of Erena, Zumba and Gwada in Shiroro, following a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter crash in their area.

Alhaji Akilu Ishaku, Chairman, Shiroro Local Government, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Monday.

He said he received the information of the air crash from the security personnel in the area, Village Head of Galkogo and other stakeholders in the area where the incident occurred.

“As the chief security officer of Shiroro Local Government, I have received reports of an aircraft crash, but the report did not state exactly who the aircraft belongs to.

“The name of the village where the crash happened is Badna village under Kwaki Chukuba ward.

“The people claimed they saw flame from a distance and saw that it was a helicopter that was on fire,” he said.

Ishaku disclosed that the incident made people from the area to flee in droves for safety as a result of fear and were taking shelter in Erana, Zumba and Gwada.

NAN reports that NAF had in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, on Monday in Abuja, confirmed one of its aircraft crashed in Chukuba village in Niger state.

He said the aircraft departed Zungeru Primary School en route to Kaduna but was later discovered to have crashed in a village in Shiroro LGA of Niger.

The air force said the aircraft was on a casualty evacuation mission when the crash happened.

The statement said “a Mi-171 helicopter on a casualty evacuation mission crashed at about 1:00 p.m. at Chukuba village in Niger. (NAN)