Five Nigerian Air Force personnel died on 2 January 2019 when a Mi-35M helicopter gunship crashed near Damasak, a town in northern Borno State close to the border with Niger, the service confirmed. The aircraft was providing close air support to ground troops engaged in operations against Boko Haram insurgents in the area at the time of the crash.
One of Several Losses That Year
The Nigerian Air Force said an investigation board had been constituted to determine the cause of the crash, in line with standard procedure following military aviation accidents. The loss added to a pattern of air incidents involving the service's ageing helicopter and trainer fleet, with analysts and lawmakers repeatedly raising concerns over the maintenance and safety record of aircraft used in Nigeria's long-running counter-insurgency campaign in the North East.