- Air Force chief, Amao, relocates to Borno
There are indications that the missing Nigerian Air Force (NAF), an Alfa fighter jet, which went missing may have been brought down by the Boko Haram/Islamic States of West African Province (ISWAP), terrorists.
TBI Africa gathered that the aircraft which left the NAF wing at the Maiduguri Airport for patrol at about 5pm on Wednesday was declared missing after it lost contact with the control tower at the airport.
Speculations are rife that terrorists may have brought down the aircraft, abducted its occupant and hid the aircraft in the bush to avoid being detected by rescue plane.
NAF personnel are worried that what happened in 2012 to one of its pilots, Wing Commander Ihedima, while fighting the counterinsurgency war must have played out again.
The Alpha Jet, which has just the pilot, was said to be on an interdiction mission in support of ground troops when it went missing.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said this in a statement issued in Abuja.
The missing aircraft has continued to cause panic among NAF personnel and the entire Armed Forces.
Already, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has relocated to Borno State in search of the missing plane.
There are speculations that the aircraft may have been shot at by the terrorists, while others fear it may have crashed in one of the thick forest in the area.
It was gathered that a search, comprising military personnel and some locals have embarked on rescue mission and combing some of the forests in the areas to see if they can find the plane and the pilot.
Several village heads and farmers within Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states have said to have been contacted if they have seen the plane crash and where it happened but there has been no positive response as the locals do not have information on the missing aircraft.
At the time of filing this report neither the aircraft nor the pilot has been found.
