Two pilots, Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele, are the pilots within the Nigerian Air Drive Alpha Jet which went lacking within the North-East since Thursday.
The NAF said on Friday that the whereabouts of the 2 pilots stay unknown.
The Chief of the Air Workers, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Thursday arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State to coordinate the continued search and rescue mission for the lacking Alpha Jet which was misplaced through the Boko Haram fight mission within the North-East.
“The air chief arrived in Maiduguri on Thursday morning, the place he was briefed on ongoing search and rescue efforts in reference to the lacking Alpha Jet plane,” the NAF Director of Public Relations and Info, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said in an replace.
He urged the pilots, engineers and technicians to stay undeterred and resolute of their dedication to making sure that peace returns to the North-East.
SaharaReporters had reported that the fighter jet went lacking on Wednesday round 5pm, amidst fears that it might need been captured or shot down by the Boko Haram terrorists – who at the moment are being aided by a extra lethal faction, the Islamic State West African Province fighters.
The NAF additionally in a launch confirmed the lacking Alpha Jet, noting that the small print of the whereabouts of the plane had been nonetheless sketchy.
“A NAF Alpha-Jet has misplaced contact with radar in Borno State, whereas on interdiction mission in help of floor troops. The mission was a part of the continued counterinsurgency operations within the North East. The lack of radar contact occurred at about 5:08 pm on 31 March 2021.
“Particulars of the whereabouts of the plane or doubtless explanation for contact loss are nonetheless sketchy however will likely be relayed to most people as quickly as they turn into clear. In the meantime, search and rescue efforts are ongoing,” Gabkwet has said.
The Alpha Jet, a light-weight assault jet and superior jet coach plane, has performed a major function in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency marketing campaign within the North-East theatre of operation.
It was acquired by NAF in 2014 from the USA of America air power.
Will probably be recalled that in February 2021, a NAF Beechcraft King Air 350i Surveillance Plane crashed in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The result of NAF’s supposed investigations into the crash had but to be made public.
