NAF lost radar contact with an Alpha Jet conducting a routine mission on Wednesday evening in the Sambisa forest area of Northeast Nigeria. This is what happened to the jet...

A ball of explosion covers a Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet. Screenshot from a propaganda video released April 2021

Boko Haram faction led by Abubakar Shekau released a video on Friday showing the downing of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet which exploded mid-air.

The seven minutes 30 seconds-long video showed the Alpha Jet flying low over a battlefield arena with multiple Boko Haram fighters engaging in fierce and uncoordinated firefights.

Alpha Jet spiralling to the ground.

The insurgents could be seen firing what was likely a heavy machine gun (anti-aircraft gun) towards the combat aircraft. Then the footage of a fireball explosion could be seen, as the Alpha Jet headed rapidly towards the ground.

Fighters subsequently moved to the area of the crash and began removing components of the aircraft and the pilots’ personal belongings.

Insurgents removing aircraft component

The video also showed a masked fighter armed with a belt-fed machine gun standing on the aircraft debris, and speaking both Arabic and English.

A Boko Haram fighter armed with a machine gun stands on the aircraft debris.

Multiple Boko Haram fighters had gun trucks, motorcycles, AK pattern rifles, belt-fed machines and what appeared to be at least one OTO Melara M56 105mm howitzer improvised into a mobile artillery system and Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (SBVIEDs) type vehicle.

What appears to be a 105mm artillery system.

This incident raises safety concerns on both military and humanitarian aircraft flying over the conflict zone. It is unclear if the crash was caused by the anti-aircraft gun or a weapon system the group did not show in the video.

Fighter with an RPG-backed Boko Haram gun truck.

The Alpha Jet is an advanced trainer and attack aircraft that has served in the NAF inventory for almost 30 years, with the Air Force receiving new deliveries of the attack (A) variants in 2015 and 2018 from the United States of America. The crashed NAF 475 Alpha Jet is from that batch.

NAF Alpha jet armed with rocket pod

The Alpha Jets are usually equipped with Soviet rocket pods and unguided bombs used for targeting ground targets.

NAF had lost radar contact with an Alpha Jet conducting a routine mission in support of ground troops on Wednesday evening in the Sambisa forest area of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.

Earlier today, the Air Force Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, revealed the identities of the pilots as Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.

“At this point, the NAF is not ruling out anything regarding the incident. It however remains hopeful that the crew would soon be found and rescued,” he had said before Boko Haram’s video surfaced.

Humangle_

Honesty111:
These guys are in for the real business. May God save us.

These people are getting sophisticated daily.
Don’t be surprised seeing them launching a furious assault soon on strategic places in Nigeria. if we aren’t careful.
Quite sure someone in the Nigerian military intelligence is leaking some information to them

Bad

Which way Nigeria?

How would his family feel seeing this? And how would other pilots regain their confidence seeing
this? So terrible.

You arm these folks and made them grow into terror with the mentality of using them to capture the Country without thinking. let say you successfully capture the country (which is impossible) how do you intend taming this beast you've created??

.

Horus:
This can be any footage from an other country . I am not convinced

Me neither.
MODIFIED;

RIP John and Chapele.

How do we know it’s boko haram. It could be isis in the Middle East

Interesting ! They are now capable of knocking off Nigeria military jets out of the sky !

Buhari is a very good and competent President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces. Boko Haram are just getting stronger under his administration. Well done sir !

Lol... that's all I can express

We no get military jare....

The same Anti-aircraft they used in bringing the jet down is what they use at humans. Mehn.

Nigeria government should allow ESN protect their people cos if they start
This

This is what happens when you are using F 7 in 2021. Shame on Obansanjo who cancel F I6 Jet fighters planes from Germany after coming into power. late Sani Abacha saw the need to upgrade our Air force but his Death stop everything. Nigeria should call in Russian Air force for help against these criminals.

These guys are getting bolder by the day and the kind of sophisticated weapons in their hands says a lot about their readiness and determination to fight to the end.

Gumi should be arrested immediately for his comment about bandits planning to buy anti-aircraft missiles to repel military attacks

www.pulse.ng/news/local/gumi-says-bandits-are-planning-to-acquire-anti-aircraft-missiles-to-repel-military/7dbbrr3.amp

Planned script by the fulani jihadist... How can an ordinary RPG shoot down a fast flying jet fighter, when it is not guided with signal or heat seeking device? Was it flying two feet above the ground to be gunned down easily when it isn't helicopter?

I believe their flight path and height was leaked to BH by their brothers in the army, so they could position well to shoot it down.

They keep sending southerners in their compromised army to their early grave. keeping the south weakened militarily.

Well, if any southerner thinks serving together with BH sympathizers in a compromised army like Nigeria's is Patriotism and not foolishness, RiP in advance to him.

Buhari will never allow Boko Haram to be defeated.

Boko Haram is Buhari and also Fulani herdsmen.

Argue with next level change.

Damn ..Boko haram has surface to air Capa? This is not good ..the alpha jet is a sitting duck for even a shoulder mounted SAM...this is not good at all

Ndi ala them! So the Shekau/ISWAP controlled BH terrorists Buhari government have been granting amnesty to its fanatics can now shot down miitary jets? The government has been complicit in protecting these killers.Abeg split this useless country being ruled by terrorist sympathizers.

Meanwhile, here are the lies we have heard over the years from the presidency, Lai Mohammed, and the army itself;
-"BH have been technically defeated"
-"BH have been terribly down graded" ,
-"BH lacking the capacity to carry out major attacks"
-"BH are now attacking soft targets"
"-BH have been badly degraded."
"-BH terrorism will continue for the next 20 years." Disgusting liars that cant tell intelligent lies.

Dammm

Sad and pathetic!!

Well it's obvious. The Nigerian Army is incapable of defeating a small ragtag insurgents. We have lost the war against insurgency. That means if we're at war with another standing army, we'll be wiped out to oblivion.
Shame to the Nigerian Army and government as a whole

We are now in the "End Game"

Na wa oooo

The Nigerian military is finished. They are only good at brutalizing civilians, raping women and intimidating boys on camouflage.

Keep looking after ESN while BH roasts your officers.

Clowns.

What efforntery

Let me know when you are ready to split Nigeria. This ain't my country.