Air Force loses jet in Boko Haram battle

The wreckage of a military jet which went missing on Friday may have been found.

Villagers in Lala State Development Area in Adamawa State claimed yesterday to have seen the wreckage.

An administrative officer in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State said villagers assisted a military search team in an effort to locate the plane after rumours that it crashed between Ngalga and Barda in Gabun ward.

The official said after an intensive search without a clue, soldiers who were  more than 100, attempted to move to the Borno side of the boundary to continue the search but were blocked by the Gabun River, which has overflown its banks.

The official said vilagers from Hawul village on the Borno side of the border informed him that a plane-like object was sighted in the mountainous area.

“Some villagers have just called to tell me that an object they believed to be an aircraft was  discovered in the bush,” he said.

He said a search party by the villagers will comb the area this morning.

The plane, one of those deployed against Boko Haram insurgents in Konduga, Borno State, on Friday is an Alpha jet. It got missing in Adamawa State.

More than 200 insurgents were killed in the operation and four soldiers were injured.

The Defence Headquarters yesterday said a search team had been deployed in the state to find the Alpha Jet (NAF 466).

But the incident has not stopped air strikes in Bama, Gwoza and Madagali.

A statement by the Director, Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said: “An Alpha Jet (NAF 466) belonging to the Nigerian Air Force is missing around Adamawa State.

“The aircraft, with two pilots onboard, left Yola at about 10:45am on 12 September 2014 on a routine operational mission and was expected back by 12:00 noon.

“Since then all efforts to establish contact with the aircraft have not yielded any positive result. Meanwhile, search and rescue effort is ongoing to establish contact with the crew.”
The likelihood of the aircraft being brought down by Boko Haram was considered remote by a military source.

The source said: “A sad moment after the euphoria of joy and excitement of military victory in Konduga. The jet did much of the bombardments of the insurgents, got missing in Adamawa axis.

“We are definitely searching for the jet; it is too early to either talk of a crash or attack by the insurgents.

“Some members of the search team have been in and around Michika town in Adamawa but we have not found the jet.”

The source claimed that the incident had not stopped ongoing operations in Borno and Adamawa states.
“Troops are still going ahead with air strikes in Bama, Gwoza and Madagali areas against the insurgents,” he said, adding:

“We are determined to consolidate on the gains recorded against the insurgents on Friday. In fact, intelligence report indicated that Boko Haram is getting war-weary.”

Adamawa State Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri yesterday commiserated with the Nigeria Air Force over the loss of its fighter Jet.

Fintiri said the prayers of the people were with the aircraft pilots and for their safe return to their families.

The Acting Governor’s position was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Solomon Kumangar.

Fintiri saluted the resilience of the military and the gains they were making in the war against the insurgents.

The military last week commenced heavy air bombardment on Michika and Madagali towns that were over ran by Boko Haram militants. The jets were shelling locations believed to have large concentration of insurgents.

The aerial bombardment, according to sources, left the Boko Haram insurgents suffering extensive losses in men and equipment.