By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Contrary to a report that a helicopter crash took place in the early hours of Monday at Taimi village, near Rigachikun in North West state of Kaduna, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says such incident did not take place.
NAF says instead, its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) experienced a mishap in the Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
The community is said to be very close to the headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force Air Training Centre, Mando.
“A NAF Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) experienced a mishap after take-off for a mission, at a location near Rumji Village and about 15 Km from 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,” spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force Edward Gabkwet said in a statement on Monday.
It was also gathered that arising from the incident, a team of Airforce personnel from the Nigerian Air Force Air Training Centre and 401 Flying School had cordoned off the scene to secure the area for emergency rescue operations and also investigate the cause of the crash.
