Boko Haram terrorists have claimed responsibility for the crash of the Nigerian Air Force’s Alpha Jet that went missing in Borno State.
The Alpha jet aircraft went off the radar on Wednesday, fuelling speculations that it might have crashed or been shot down.
The terrorists, in a video released on Friday, said they shot down the Alpha jet showing footage from the crash scene with the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its fuselage.
Another terrorist was also seen standing on the aircraft while speaking in Hausa and English.
The insurgents were also seen moving towards the debris of the aircraft to remove components of the aircraft and the personal effects of the pilots.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had deployed the jet for an operation against the Boko Haram sect on Wednesday, when it went off the radar, with no traces found since.
The fighter aircraft lost contact with the base at about 5 pm, the same day, while on an interdiction mission in support of ground troops.
Locals saw the jet fly around Goni Kurmiri and Njimia villages after attacking terrorist locations around the Sambisa Forest.
Earlier on Friday, a statement issued by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, said intelligence report gathered by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) indicated that the Alpha Jet aircraft (NAF475) that went off the radar with two 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 remains unknown. The pilots are Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele,” he revealed.
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