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On Monday, a tragedy occurred when a Nigerian Air Force helicopter crashed in the north-central state of Niger.
Sources say that it had come under attack from armed bandits.
The plane was brought down near Chukuba village in Shiroro local government area according to air force spokesperson Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet.
An investigation is currently underway, and the number of people on board is unknown at this time.
Niger state lies hundreds of kilometres southeast of Niamey, the capital of Niger where a military junta took power last month through a coup d’état.
Two military sources have reported that the helicopter was sent out to evacuate victims from an ambush on Sunday which resulted in at least 10 fatalities among soldiers caught up in the conflict.
In addition, armed gangs are frequent across Nigeria’s northwest, where they rob and kidnap for ransom – causing thousands of deaths over recent years.
Islamist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa are also active in northern Nigeria as well as being linked with Islamic State activity in other areas.
It is tragic that such violence continues to occur without any clear end or resolution in sight for those affected by these events.
It appears that more must be done to combat both political instability and armed gang activity – not only within Nigeria but across all regions afflicted with similar issues.
With adequate support from law enforcement agencies, as well as increased awareness surrounding radicalization initiatives, there may yet be hope for these troubled parts of the world – if we can work together towards lasting solutions instead of temporary ones.
This is a developing story with new details continuing to come in.
