Blackhawk Down
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Notorious terror kingpin Dogo Gide claims responsibility for Nigeria’s own Blackhawk down calls on Nigerians to repent for their safety
In a viral video released Tuesday, notorious terror kingpin Dogo Gide has claimed responsibility for the downing of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mi-171 Hip transport helicopter in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Nigeria’s Niger state on Monday.
Gide also known as Abubakar Abdullahi has been responsible for kidnapping, killing of villagers, farmers and security operatives in north central Nigeria since 2015.
A NAF Mi-171
NAF said the MI-171 helicopter was on a casualty evacuation mission before it crashed. It said investigation had commenced to determine the probable cause of the accident.
However, a newspaper based in the Nigerian capital Abuja the Daily Trust confirmed the Dogo Gide terrorists claim that they were responsible for shooting the helicopter in a two-minute-seventeen-second video.
The newspaper said the narrator in the video which seemed authentic, the terrorists claimed the military helicopter was shot down with an AK47 assault rifle.
The narrator who spoke Hausa, said the terrorists belonged to Dogo Gide group. The helicopter was brought down after the terrorists ambushed and killed over 30 troops attached to Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Operation Whirl Punch.
The terrorists further called on Nigerians to repent for their safety as they were gradually approaching the federal capital.
In April the Dogo Gide group collected over N100 million Naira in ransom payment and released four of the 11 remaining students of the Federal Government Girls’ College Yauri, Kebbi state, they had kidnapped the 11 girls after invading their school on 17th June 2021.
A NAF Mi-35 Hind being prepped for a mission against terrorists
It has been reported that some of the girls had become teenage mothers, while about four others were pregnant.
Operation Whirl Punch troops are currently engaged in counter terrorism operations in which about 53 terrorists have been neutralised in the area.
It is not known if security forces have secured the crash site.
Experts say the origins of the bandit conflict can be traced back to herder-farmer conflicts that plague Nigeria. Climate change and the scarcity of water and arable land led to communities competing viciously for those limited resources.
Unemployment, large-scale poverty and weak local government have allowed for a steady stream of desperate people turning to criminal activity to earn a living.
Large forested areas allow for concealment and the formation of camps deep in the forest. Unequipped police and military personnel are unable to reach these areas.
Akowe with reports from Abuja
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