365Daily – Terrorist group, Boko Haram, has claimed it shot down the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) jet which went missing on Wednesday, March 31, in Borno State.
The NAF had said on Thursday, April 1, that the alpha jet lost contact with the radar in Borno State during the flight.
But in a 7 minute video which the group used to back its claim, published by Humangle, its fighters were seen shooting down an aircraft believed to be the missing alpha jet.
It also showed on of them speaking in Hausa and English languages and the ruins of the crashed aircraft which was ransacked.
Earlier Friday morning, April 2, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, disclosed that the jet may have crashed and revealed the names of the pilots who were involved in the incident.
He said, “Intelligence report gathered by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) indicates that the Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) that went off the radar with 2 crew members on board on 31 March 2021 might have crashed.”
“The cause of the crash as well as the whereabouts of the 2 pilots remain unknown. The pilots are Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.”
In February this year, an Air Force aircraft, a Beechcraft KingAir B350i, reportedly lost a engine and crashed on its way to Minna, Niger State, while on a mission to secure the release of the student and staff abducted from the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State.