Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has arrived in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State the north east theatre of operations to coordinate the search and rescue operations for the missing Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Alpha Jet aircraft.
Heritage Times had reported that NAF on Wednesday night announced that one its aircraft on routine mission in support of own troops at one of the theatre of operations in the northern part of Nigeria, lost radar contact.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet in a tweet, added that efforts were ongoing to locate its whereabouts, as the CAS was meeting with the Air Component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE
“The CAS, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, @ CAS _IOAmao, arrived Maiduguri this morning and was briefed on ongoing search and rescue effort in connection with the missing Alpha Jet aircraft.
“He also urged pilots, engineers & technicians to remain undeterred & resolute in their commitment to ensuring that peace returns to the Northeast.
“This is a very trying time for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), family as it had been moving from one tragic incidence to the other,” he tweeted.
The disappearance comes barely a month after a NAF Beechcraft King Air 350 crashed on February 12 in Abuja, killing all seven crew members on board, after an engine failure.
The seven NAF personnel died in the line of duty while returning to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja after reporting engine failure enroute Minna, where it was scheduled to conduct surveillance missions over Niger State and its environs in connection with the concerted efforts to secure the release of the students/staff abducted from the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State.
