… as plane crash kill all officers on Kagara students rescue mission
The 27 students, 3 staff and 12 members of their family who were kidnapped by bandits last week at the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State have been freed.
The abductees, according The Nation report, were dropped off at different locations from the kidnapped passengers, who were rescued earlier.
Meanwhile, the military aircraft, a Beechcraft Kingair B350i aircraft which crashed Sunday close to the runway of the Abuja airport, according to the Presidency, was on a rescue mission for abducted Kagara students. Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, in a Sunday night tweet wrote: “Disturbed by the recent revelation that the NAF personnel who died today in a plane crash were en route Minna on a rescue mission for the abducted staff and students of the Government Science College, Kagara,
NAF confirmed that the crash claimed the lives of seven personnel.
Flight Lieutenant Haruna Gadzama (Captain). Flight Lieutenant Henry Piyo (Co-Pilot). Flying Officer Micheal Okpara, Airborne Tactical Observation System (ATOS) Specialist. Warrant Officer Bassey Etim (ATOS Specialist). Flight Sergeant Olasunkanmi Olawunmi (ATOS Specialist). Sergeant Ugochukwu Oluka (ATOS Specialist). Aircraftman Adewale Johnson (Onboard Technician).
Four of the late officers are ATOS specialists, trained in cutting-edge combat mission-critical sensor technology for real time collection and handling of enemy navigation data and ground information.