A military jet has failed to return to base after being successfully
used in routing insurgents. The jet and its two pilots participated in removing
Boko Haram insurgents from Kodunga, about 40 miles from Maiduguri, on Friday
morning. In fact, it could be billed to be the most successful encounter
against the insurgents in recent times.
The jet played the leading role in stopping the advance and
takeover of Kodunga by Boko Haram. But neither the aircraft nor the pilots
returned to its base in Yola. All efforts to locate them have proved abortive.
Already, a search and rescue operation is underway to unravel the circumstances
surrounding the disappearance of the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet and its two
pilots. A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris
Olukolade, which declared the aircraft and two pilots missing reads: An Alpha
Jet (NAF 466) belonging to the Nigerian Air Force is missing around Adamawa
State. The aircraft, with two pilots on board, left Yola about 10:45 a.m. 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. In view of the foregoing, you are please
requested to disseminate this information through your news medium for the
awareness of the general public. This development has triggered some questions in the defence
sector. What happened? How could two experienced fighter pilots manoeuvring a
familiar fighter jet disappear, just like that? Were they shot down by Boko
Haram insurgents who had acquired anti-aircraft weapons and are in possession
of mounted anti-aircraft guns on trucks?
Guardian Newspaper
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