wo pilots, Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele, are the pilots in the Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet which went missing in the North-East since Thursday.

The NAF stated on Friday that the whereabouts of the two pilots remain unknown.

Nigerian Alpha Jet

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Thursday arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State to coordinate the ongoing search and rescue mission for the missing Alpha Jet which was lost during the Boko Haram combat mission in the North-East.

“The air chief arrived in Maiduguri on Thursday morning, where he was briefed on ongoing search and rescue efforts in connection with the missing Alpha Jet aircraft,” the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, stated in an update.  

He urged the pilots, engineers and technicians to remain undeterred and resolute in their commitment to ensuring that peace returns to the North-East.

SaharaReporters had reported that the fighter jet went missing on Wednesdayaround 5pm, amidst fears that it might have been captured or shot down by the Boko Haram terrorists – who are now being aided by a more deadly faction, the Islamic State West African Province fighters.

The NAF also in a release confirmed the missing Alpha Jet, noting that the details of the whereabouts of the aircraft were still sketchy.

“A NAF Alpha-Jet has lost contact with radar in Borno State, while on interdiction mission in support of ground troops. The mission was part of the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the North East. The loss of radar contact occurred at about 5:08 pm on 31 March 2021. 

“Details of the whereabouts of the aircraft or likely cause of contact loss are still sketchy but will be relayed to the general public as soon as they become clear. Meanwhile, search and rescue efforts are ongoing,” Gabkwet has stated.

The Alpha Jet, a light attack jet and advanced jet trainer aircraft, has played a significant role in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East theatre of operation.

It was acquired by NAF in 2014 from the United States of America air force.

It will be recalled that in February 2021, a NAF Beechcraft King Air 350i Surveillance Aircraft crashed in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

The outcome of NAF’s supposed investigations into the crash had yet to be made public.

A crowd of Nigerians in the United Kingdom have stormed the Abuja House, 2 Campden Hill, Kensington, London, demanding that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently on medical leave, to immediately return home.

In a video tweeted on his verified Twitter handle, a Nigerian broadcaster and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, said the protesters assembled with a mission “to chase the president back home.”

“The Police came but the #HarassBuhariOutOfLondon went on. A frightened @MBuhari refused to come,” he tweeted.

In a separate tweet earlier, Reno said, “The eagle has landed to harass the ego out of London. It is happening people. #HarassBuhariOutOfLondon is on. God willing, I will see you at Abuja House, 2 Campden Hill, Kensington, London W8 7AD by 12 noon.

“We will observe #COVID-19 protocols even as we chase @MBuhari back home”.

Recall that the president on Tuesday departed Nigeria for the UK to undergo a medical check-up.

Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, had also on Tuesday advised Nigerians in the UK to occupy the London hospital where President Buhari plans to have his medical checkup.

Sowore had described the medical trip to London as a waste of resources, noting that the President should do his checkup in the “world-class” hospital he built in Nigeria since he came to power.

The human rights activist also advised Nigerians in the UK to occupy the Abuja House in London.

He wrote on Twitter, “Nigerians in the UK must #occupy the hospital where sickly @mbuhari is wasting Nigeria’s resources and the Nigeria embassy as well as Abuja House in London, let Buhari return home and do a medical check in the ‘world-class’ hospital he built since coming to power. #Buharimustgo!”