Military buries 20 personnel killed in Niger

The Nigerian Armed Forces on Friday buried the 20 military personnel killed in bandits’ attack and helicopter crash in Niger State.

The ceremony which took place at the National Military Cemetery Abuja was attended by the Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, service chiefs, families and associates of the personnel.

The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani and his Niger State counterpart, Mohammed Bago, were represented at the ceremony.

The bodies of the deceased personnel arrived at the cemetery from Kaduna at about noon for the funeral as some of the fallen heroes had since been buried in other locations.

The two ministers laid wreaths on the dead personnel graves while the CDS and service chiefs presented the National Flag to next-of-kin of the fallen heroes.

READ ALSO: Bandits abduct Commissioner for Information in Niger State

Armed bandits on August 14 killed three officers and 22 soldiers in an ambush in Zungeru general area of Niger State.

Seven other soldiers were wounded in the attack.

The NAF helicopter was on a mission to evacuate the deceased and wounded troops when it crashed at Chukuba area of Shiroro local government area of the state the same day.

The helicopter was conveying 14 bodies of the deceased soldiers and seven wounded ones, two pilots and two crew members when it came down.

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