President Bola Tinubu has reacted to the death of troops killed by bandits in an ambush in the Shiroro area of Niger state as well as the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter on Monday.
Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that the sad incidents brought him “immense sadness.”
The president maintained that the officers were answering the call of duty during an evacuation mission but paid the ultimate price.
While commending the courage and devotion of the fallen soldiers, Tinubu said, “On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
In a related development, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has vowed that the military would rid Niger state and and its environs of banditry and insurgency.
This is coming after bandits laid an ambush for troops and killed many in the Shiroro area of Niger state.
Politics Nigeria reported that NAF also lost its aircraft while on a rescue mission in the state on Monday.
Abubakar noted that his service, in collaboration with the land force, would strengthen their operations.
The air marshal vowed that the military, with its combat capabilities, would completely eradicate the criminals.
Abubakar spoke when the Niger state governor, Umar Bago, paid him a condolence visit in Abuja on Tuesday.
