Intense gunfire from bandits caused a Nigerian fighter jet to crash in northwestern Zamfara state, but the pilot survived by ejecting from the aircraft.
Nigeria’s air force said on Monday the crash occurred on Sunday as the Alpha jet, a light attack aircraft, was returning to base from a mission on the Zamfara-Kaduna border.The jet “came under intense enemy fire which led to its crash”, an air force statement said, but pilot Abayomi Dairo successfully ejected.
“Luckily, the gallant pilot … successfully ejected from the aircraft,” air force spokesman Edward Gabkwet said.
“Using his survival instincts, the pilot, who came under intense ground fire from the bandits, was able to evade them and sought refuge in nearby settlements awaiting sunset.”
The pilot found his way to an army base “where he was finally rescued”.
Fake claim of responsibility
A video from the armed group Boko Haram taking responsibility for the attack circulated online, but it turned out to be fake as it was recorded in April.
Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have been carrying out attacks in northwestern Nigeria for years.
But there are also other criminal groups on the move in the area, described by the government as “bandits” who specialise in extorting ransom through the mass abduction of schoolchildren.
