At the burial of some of the military soldiers who lost their lives in action in Niger State, family members and friends joined the rank and file of the Nigerian Armed Forces at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja.
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) reports that no fewer than 36 officers lost their lives in combat on August 14, including one during an aviation mission.
Around 9:46 am, Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defense, arrived to start the burial. The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and other military leaders were also present.
Recall that rebel commander Dogo Gide claimed responsibility for shooting a helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, in Niger State, North-Central Nigeria on Monday July 18.
The attack on the chopper was celebrated by Gide’s foot soldiers in a short video which emerged online.
According to military officials, the helicopter was on a mission to evacuate casualties when it crashed at Chukuba hamlet, which is close to Shiroro. Some of the troops who had been slain by terrorists during an ambush in the state were being evacuated by helicopter.