A known notorious terrorist, Abdullahi Abubakar, popularly called Dogo Gide has claimed responsibility for the shooting down of a Nigerian Air Force helicopter which was on a rescue mission in Niger State on Monday.
Penpushing reports that Gide in a two-minute, seventeen seconds video clip was seen alongside other of the fighters celebrating the shooting down of the helicopter with a voice in the clip narrating how the helicopter was shot down.
The video clip also revealed voice of a man speaking with a Fulani accent who was heard calling on the soldiers and those sending them to repent, and equally showed the corpses of the affected soldiers and the remnants of the helicopter
“By God’s grace, this is what we will be showing you. These are dead bodies of Nigerian soldiers that attacked us with the aim of killing us. They wanted to kill Dogo Gide. But Dogo Gide by God’s grace is still alive and he will not die (by soldiers’ bullets)’.
‘These are soldiers lying on the ground. Look at them…and their helicopter lying wasted. I want you people to repent because we don’t have any problem with anyone. We’ll not kill anyone except those who plan to attack us.
“Look at this; it’s the work of Allah who has given us the strength. We shut down the helicopter with All 47 rifles. Look at them. We want you to repent because it’s not our mission to be killing people’, the man added.
‘What we want is for everyone to repent, especially the leaders that send these soldiers to attack us, and they’re being killed… God will apprehend them in the hereafter, we’ll not retreat because of their helicopter or fighting equipment. Dogo Gide, whom they want to kill, is still alive.’, he emphasized
“These (the terrorists) all have AK-47 rifles and that was what we used to bring down the helicopter. We stood our ground while they were shooting at us until we brought it down. We want you to repent. May God be our strength, we’re with our leader….”, he said.
Penpushing further reports that Gide became prominent in 2018 after he reportedly killed Tsoho Buhari, who used to be the most ruthless and most feared terrorist in the region, while record has it that he(Gide), who used to be a protégé of Buhari Daji, killed him after an argument ensued between both men after Buhari reportedly rustled the cattle of Gide’s in-law.
The notorious who was born in Erana District, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, attended the Qur’anic school of Isah Erana, a popular moderate Islamic cleric and a former chief Imam of Erana town, but has led a life of violence and was radicalised by Boko Haram.
Penpushing also reports that it was unclear at what point Gide started his criminal operations, but like the motley gangs operating in the Shiroro and surrounding area, his operation originally involved raiding villages, hijacking harvests, and rustling livestock.
The trajectory of Gide criminal activities soon changed after he encountered members of Ansaru and Boko Haram, who had sleeper cells in the area, while report has it that the Boko Haram members in the area advised him to desist from raiding villages.
Penpushing reports that Gide, thereafter switched to attacking government establishments, officials, and institutions such as schools, considered haram (forbidden by the Islamist group), and teamed up with Ali Kawajo (Kachalla) who himself shot down a NAF helicopter in Zamfara in 2022 and Malam Abba, an Ansaru leader to abduct passengers of the Kaduna – Abuja bound train last year.
The notorious Gide also abducted pupils and staff of the Federal Government College Yauri in 2021, insisting that Western education is a waste of time for the children, a clear Boko Haram, ISWAP and Ansaru ideology.
Penpushing further reports that Gide at point passed an edict banning gangs from attacking rural communities in Zamfara, and forbade them from abducting residents, demanding ransoms, or the payment of protection levies, but permitted them to attack security bases and schools in the area, and communities outside the state.
The Military, it is recalled confirmed that the helicopter crashed while on a casualty evacuation mission near Chukuba village near Shiroro, to evacuate some of the soldiers killed by the terrorists during an ambush in the state.
Penpushing also reports that as at the time of filing this report the Air Force spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet was yet to make any comments or issue official statement over the ugly development
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