The Nigerian Air Force has refuted claims that its helicopter crashed in the early hours of Monday in Tami village, located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The spokesman for the NAF, Edward Gabkwet in a statement on Monday, said it was a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and not a helicopter as earlier believed.
Gabkwet said, “A NAF Unmanned Aerial Vehicle experienced a mishap after take-off for a mission, at a location near Rumji Village and about 15 Km from the Base. Since it is an unmanned vehicle, there were no casualties on board or on the ground.
“A preliminary investigation has since commenced to ascertain what may have caused the mishap. Nigerians can rest assured that this minor setback will not, in any way, impinge on all ongoing operations.”
In the wake of the incident, a team of Airforce personnel from the Nigerian Air Force Air Training Centre and 401 Flying School were said to have cordoned off the scene to secure the area for emergency rescue operations and also investigate the cause of the crash.
Earlier, some locals stated that a helicopter belonging to the NAF in the early hours of Monday crashed in Tami village causing alarm among residents.
The helicopter which was on a routine operational flight reportedly encountered technical difficulties that resulted in the crash.
Fortunately, the pilot successfully executed emergency protocols and emerged from the wreckage largely unscathed.