From Olukayode Idowu, Defence Correspondent
Nigerian military high command has denied the shooting of an helicopter within the nation’s airspace.
It described the news that went viral on Tuesday that Boko Haram have shot down a Nigerien helicopter around the Bama area within the Nigeria-Cameroon border as a figment of imagination of the reporter.
The spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola who spoke with Sunrise News Correspondent said a Nigerien military helicopter could not have been at that location at that particular time, urging reporters to always clarify all their materials before publication.
Daramola in a statement later sent in to our correspondent said the Nigeria Airforce just confirmed a helicopter actually ran into distress and had to be sheltered until necessary repair was carried out and returned to Maiduguri.
He said: “The Nigerian Air Force just confirmed that United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) helicopter had issues shortly after take-off from Banki to Maiduguri and had to make emergency landing. Banki military post arrived the scene to provide security coverage while the team conducted emergency repair and the helicopter eventually flew back to Maiduguri around 11am on November 17.”
Recall that suspected members of the terrorist sect, Boko Haram were said to have shot down a Nigerien helicopter in Bama, Borno State on Tuesday, killing all five passengers on board.
According to the source, the incident occurred Tuesday at about 10:am near Banki town in Bama local government area of Borno State, which is bordering Cameroon Republic.
An humanitarian aid worker, who also spoke anonymously, said when they visited the scene along with military personnel, they found out from the look of thing that the attack was likely from the Boko Haram terrorists.
He said they cannot however rule out survivors for the crash.
He said from the initial finding it was discovered that the helicopter belong to the Nigerien government.
But speaking to Sunrise News Correspondent, said the military has done a thorough investigation and have found out there is no crash anywhere in Bama.
Daramola said the question that should have been asked is what is Nigerien helicopter doing between Cameroonian and Nigerian border.
He said the story was “a figment of the imagination of the journalist that reported it.”
“I can tell you authoritatively that there was no crash in Bama and Boko Haram did not shoot down any helicopter.”
Also speaking to our correspondent, the spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), Ms. Eve Sabbagh said she was surprised to read that a Nigerien helicopter was shut down by Boko Haram somewhere in Bama.
She said what made her to doubt the report was what could a Nigerien helicopter be doing at that particular location?
She equally said the rumour that perhaps it could have been a UN helicopter was untrue.
She said “none of our helicopter crashed.”