Notorious terrorist, Dogo Gide, claims shooting down NAF helicopter

A notorious terrorist, Abdullahi Abubakar, popularly known as Dogo Gide, said he shot down a Nigerian Air Force helicopter on a rescue mission in Niger State on Monday.

In a two minute, seventeen seconds video clip seen by PREMIUM TIMES and authenticated by a security source, who pleaded anonymity, Mr Gide’s fighters were seen celebrating the shooting down of the helicopter with a voice in the clip narrating how the helicopter was shot down.

Military authorities said the helicopter crashed while on a casualty evacuation mission near Chukuba village near Shiroro. The helicopter was on its way to evacuate some of the soldiers killed by the terrorists during an ambush in the state.

“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,” a man with a heavy Fulani accent said in Hausa while showing the bodies of dead soldiers and the remnants of the helicopter.

“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. 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.

“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.

In the background, AK 47 rifles totting terrorists chant “God is grace” and laughed mockingly.

Who is Dogo Gide

Mr Gide rose to prominence in 2018 after he reportedly killed Tsoho Buhari, who used to be the most ruthless and most feared terrorist in the region.

Mr Gide, who used to be a protégé of Buhari Daji, killed him after an argument ensued between both men after Mr Buhari reportedly rustled the cattle of Mr Gide’s in-law.

Mr Gide has led a life of violence and was radicalised by Boko Haram.

Born in Erana District, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, Mr Gide attended the Qur’anic school of Isah Erana, a popular moderate Islamic cleric and a former chief Imam of Erana town.

It was unclear at what point Mr 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 his criminal enterprise soon changed after he encountered members of Ansaru and Boko Haram, who had sleeper cells in the area.

The Boko Haram members in the area advised him to desist from raiding villages but to switch to attacking government establishments, officials, and institutions such as schools, considered haram (forbidden by the Islamist group)

Mr Gide 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.

He 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.

At a time, Mr Gide passed an edict banning gangs from attacking rural communities in Zamfara. He forbade them from abducting residents, demanding ransoms, or the payment of protection levies.

However, he permitted them to attack security bases and schools in the area, and communities outside the state.

The Air Force spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet did not pick up calls from our reporter. Messages sent to him were also not responded to.

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