Missing jet: No credible information yet–Air Force

•Rules out sabotage The Nigerian Air Force has hinted that it is yet to have credible information on the location of its missing aircraft and the pilots. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, dropped the hint in Abuja today while addressing State House journalists after meeting with Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo. […]

•Rules out sabotage

The Nigerian Air Force has hinted that it is yet to have credible information on the location of its missing aircraft and the pilots.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, dropped the hint in Abuja today while addressing State House journalists after meeting with Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo.

The Air Force Alpha Jet NAF 466 reportedly went missing Friday during a counter-terrorism mission around Adamawa State.

Amosu told journalists that he hoped the Force should be able to provide credible information about the location of the aircraft and the pilots either by today or weekend.

The Chief of Air Staff also expressed optimism that the pilots were still alive.

“I’m hopeful that before the end of the day or the week, we should be able to provide credible information as to the location of the aircraft and then the pilots. But one thing is clear, whatever problem they had, an ejection was contemplated. It’s therefore my hope that the pilots are still alive”, he said.

The Chief of Air Staff ruled out sabotage, stressing that the Force was in full control of the airspace.

“Sabotage? No! Because it is a distance of just from Maiduguri to Yola. We are in full control of the airspace. But don’t forget that when you lose radio signal, it becomes very challenging. There are so many possibilities, but we are working on it”, he said.

Amosu noted that the Force had deployed all its surveillance capability, but regretted that the weather had not been helpful.

According to him, although citizens have been very helpful with good information, such information is not sufficient for the Force to define the area of the search.

“One of our Alpha jets went on routine operation in the North-East and they lost contact with the control towers, and that made us to immediately initiate search. The weather has not been helpful as we have deployed all our surveillance capability. The citizens have been very helpful, and we have got good information from them.

“But you know, in the aviation sector, we have some specific information that we ought to have to make the search easy. The information we are getting from the citizens is good, but not sufficient for us to define the area of search.

“But we have an idea of where the aircraft could be. Do not forget that it is the open Sahel. Some people may think it is easy, but in the open Sahel, sometimes it is even very challenging. Human beings standing may look like trees and again, the area we’re talking about, we have operations going on there; and we have limitations as to how we can conduct the search”, he said.