Kenneth Afor
The Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the missing Air Force fighter jet which the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said may have crashed, releasing a propaganda video showing the downed jet.
The fighter jet was on a mission to support troops fighting militants in northeastern Borno state when it lost radar contact on Wednesday, according to a statement by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Wednesday.
The video, which was released on a Boko Haram social media channel run by the Abubakar Shekau faction, showed a militant standing on what the group claimed the wreckage of the jet. It shows the Nigerian flag and number NAF 475 on its fuselage.
The seven minutes, 30 seconds-long video showed the Alpha Jet flying low over a battlefield arena with multiple Boko Haram fighters engaging in fierce and uncoordinated firefights.
The insurgents could be seen firing what was likely a heavy machine gun (anti-aircraft gun) towards the combat aircraft. Then the footage of a fireball explosion could be seen, as the Alpha Jet headed rapidly towards the ground.
“Nigeria air force jet fighter… was sent to Sambisa to fight the Mujahideen,” the militant said.
The video, however, could not be verified as of the time of this report.
NAF had lost radar contact with an Alpha Jet conducting a routine mission in support of ground troops on Wednesday evening in the Sambisa forest area of Borno State.
It noted in a statement on Friday that the jet may have crashed, adding that the cause of the crash and the whereabouts of the two pilots on board, Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele, were unknown.
