At the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, 22 Nigerian Armed Forces personnel were laid to rest after their deaths in combat in Niger State.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Defence, Deputy Governor of Niger State, Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and other service chiefs.
The event marked the end of the 36 officers killed in battle on August 14. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) reported that three officers and 22 soldiers were killed by bandits in an ambush at Zungeru, Niger State, last Monday.
The casualties include two pilots and two crew members in the crashed M1-171 military helicopter, which was carrying the bodies of some of the soldiers killed in the ambush. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated that operations are ongoing to recover the bodies and investigate the cause of the air crash.
He urged citizens to be wary of propaganda by terrorists and remain patriotic. The NAF MI-171 helicopter was dispatched to evacuate the casualties, but it crashed while outbound to Kaduna, resulting in the deaths of 14 personnel and seven soldiers.
Buba also stated that an investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the helicopter crash and urged citizens to remain patriotic while troops are advancing to the location.
