The Nigerian Air Force says it is investigating a suspicious helicopter hovering over Lame-Burra Forest in Toro and Ningi local government areas of Bauchi state.

The state governor, Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir drew attention to the presence of the helicopter on Tuesday when he received the newly posted Air Officer Commanding the Nigerian Air Force Special Operations in Bauchi, Air Vice Marshal Tajudeen Yusuf at the Government House.

The forest which stretches from Toro local government area to Ningi local government area covers 205,900 hectares and shares boundaries with Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states.

He said intelligent security details available to him from the local areas indicated that a helicopter used to fly over the forest, a development that raised concern about the safety of the people living around the forest.

A worried Governor Bala had said that with the continuous sighting of the unknown jet, NAF officers and men should intensify air surveillance around the forest to forestall a breach in public safety, especially in the local populations bordering the large forest reserve and the entire people of the state.

After listening to the governor, Air Vice Marshal Yusuf said NAF was aware of the situation and investigations are ongoing with a view to intercepting the suspected helicopter.

Yusuf commended the state government for its concern on security in the state and called on the public to assist the command with useful information to enable it to discharge its duties to them.