President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed sadness over the death of gallant officers and soldiers in a helicopter crash at Chukuba Village near Shiroro, Niger State on Monday.

This was contained in a statement signed by the president on Tuesday evening, he said officers and men were answering the call of duty while on an evacuation mission but paid the ultimate price in their dedicated service to their beloved country.

The statement read: “while we mourn their untimely departure, we will forever remember them, not just as servicemen, but as national heroes who gave their all for the peace and security of our country.

“They will always be remembered as courageous men who did not consider the perils and dangers of their national duty as paramount to their sacred mandate of ensuring that their fellow countrymen and women can live in peace.

“We salute their sacrifice, devotion and loyalty to our dear nation – the nation they loved and served to the end.

“On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God grant them eternal rest,” the president said.