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!” 

– The NDLEA has reduced the number of Boko Haram contacts by one

– One of the sponsors of the insurgents, Adama Uomar, was arrested on Thursday, April 1

– The suspect is a Chadian youth whose duty is to buy narcotics for the terrorists Read more: 

It seems that Nigeria’s security forces and other anti-corruption agencies are serious with President Muhammadu Buhari’s standing order to fish out sponsors of insurgency throughout the country.

Just one day after the president departed to the United Kingdom (UK) for his routine medical check-up, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made an important catch. 

According to a presidential media aide, Lauretta Onichie, the NDLEA on Thursday, April 1, announced that it arrested a hard drug provider for Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria.

The name of the 35-year-old suspect, who happens to be a Chadian national is Adama Uomar who procures narcotics for the insurgents in Taraba. 

Adama Uomar is a Chadian youth who provides hard substances for Boko Haram insurgents in Taraba (Photo: @Laurestar)  Source: Twitter

Onochie’s tweet read:

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, @ndlea_nigeria, has arrested a member of the Boko Haram value chain, 35-year-old Chadian, Adama Uomar Issa who procures narcotics for Boko Haram insurgents in Taraba State.

“He was caught in possession of assorted hard drugs.” Earlier, the federal government had said that security agents had arrested some Nigerians funding Boko Haram terrorists.

The senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known on Tuesday, March 30.  Shehu insisted that people would be shocked when details of the investigation on how the sums of money were transferred to the group would be fully disclosed. He said the sponsors include some bureau de change operators with contacts abroad.

 Shehu also revealed that places of worship are used to harbour killers of security agents in the country, assuring that heads of intelligence agencies are working on it.

The presidential aide stated: “It is shocking to many Nigerian that places of worship and farmland are places where killers of policemen, naval officers and military are being harboured. This discovery will shock you. But this is going on all over the country.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, @ndlea_nigeria, has arrested a member of the Boko Haram value chain, 35-year-old Chadian, Adama Uomar Issa who procures narcotics for Boko Haram insurgents in Taraba State.
He was caught in possession of assorted hard drugs. pic.twitter.com/jvehTdHDvq

— Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) April 1, 2021