Wreckage Of Missing Air Force Jet Reportedly Found In Borno

There are indications that the wreckage of the missing Alpha jet
belonging to the Nigerian Air Force has been found in Konduga Local
Government Area of Borno State which is about 30 kilometres outside
of Maiduguri, the state capital.

Although the Air Force authorities are yet to confirm this
development, sources on Friday said the fighter jet was seen flying
around Goni Kurmiri and Njimia villages after attacking terrorist
locations at the Sambisa axis.

The sources, however, did not give any information about the
whereabouts of the pilot and the co-pilot.

Air Force authorities had announced that the plane lost contact
with the radar on Wednesday evening while on an interdiction
mission in support of ground troops as part of the ongoing
counterinsurgency operations in the northeast.

Earlier on Friday, the Air Force also announced the possibility
that the plane may have crashed.

According to a statement issued by the NAF Director of Public
Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the
aircraft marked – NAF475 – had two crew members on board when it
went missing on Wednesday in Borno State.

While the cause of the crash and the whereabouts of the crew
members who are NAF personnel remain unknown, the pilots were
identified as Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight
Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.

Meanwhile, a faction of Boko Haram has claimed that it shot down
the plane with some of the pictures showing the wreckage of a plane
now being circulated on social media.

According to a video released on Friday, the terrorists claimed
responsibility for shooting down a Nigerian fighter jet.

The video, which could not be verified by Channels Television,
was released on a Boko Haram social media channel showing a
militant standing on what the group claims are the wreckage of the
jet. It shows the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its
fuselage.

“Nigeria air force jet fighter… was sent to Sambisa to fight the
Mujahideen,” the militant said.

Nigeria’s military have been battling jihadists in the northeast
of the country for more than a decade and have recently been
fighting them in their stronghold in Sambisa forest in Borno
state.

In 2014, Boko Haram said it shot down another Nigerian air force
jet and showed a video claiming to have beheaded its pilot.

Since the Islamist insurgency broke out in 2009, the conflict
has killed around 36,000 people in the region and displaced some
two million from their homes.

The violence has also spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and
Cameroon.

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) split from Boko
Haram in 2016 and has since become a prominent threat, attacking
soldiers and bases while killing and kidnapping civilians.

At the start of the year, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed
new military commanders after coming under pressure to better
tackle insecurity and inject new life into the armed forces.

There are indications that the wreckage of the missing Alpha jet
belonging to the Nigerian Air Force has been found in Konduga Local
Government Area of Borno State which is about 30 kilometres outside
of Maiduguri, the state capital.

Although the Air Force authorities are yet to confirm this
development, sources on Friday said the fighter jet was seen flying
around Goni Kurmiri and Njimia villages after attacking terrorist
locations at the Sambisa axis.

The sources, however, did not give any information about the
whereabouts of the pilot and the co-pilot.

Air Force authorities had announced that the plane lost contact
with the radar on Wednesday evening while on an interdiction
mission in support of ground troops as part of the ongoing
counterinsurgency operations in the northeast.

Earlier on Friday, the Air Force also announced the possibility
that the plane may have crashed.

According to a statement issued by the NAF Director of Public
Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the
aircraft marked – NAF475 – had two crew members on board when it
went missing on Wednesday in Borno State.

While the cause of the crash and the whereabouts of the crew
members who are NAF personnel remain unknown, the pilots were
identified as Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight
Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.

Meanwhile, a faction of Boko Haram has claimed that it shot down
the plane with some of the pictures showing the wreckage of a plane
now being circulated on social media.

According to a video released on Friday, the terrorists claimed
responsibility for shooting down a Nigerian fighter jet.

The video, which could not be verified by Channels Television,
was released on a Boko Haram social media channel showing a
militant standing on what the group claims are the wreckage of the
jet. It shows the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its
fuselage.

“Nigeria air force jet fighter… was sent to Sambisa to fight the
Mujahideen,” the militant said.

Nigeria’s military have been battling jihadists in the northeast
of the country for more than a decade and have recently been
fighting them in their stronghold in Sambisa forest in Borno
state.

In 2014, Boko Haram said it shot down another Nigerian air force
jet and showed a video claiming to have beheaded its pilot.

Since the Islamist insurgency broke out in 2009, the conflict
has killed around 36,000 people in the region and displaced some
two million from their homes.

The violence has also spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and
Cameroon.

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) split from Boko
Haram in 2016 and has since become a prominent threat, attacking
soldiers and bases while killing and kidnapping civilians.

At the start of the year, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed
new military commanders after coming under pressure to better
tackle insecurity and inject new life into the armed forces.