NGA extends search for missing jet to CMR

The Nigerian military is still searching for one of its jet that went missing over the weekend during a heated battle between the country’s troops and members of the Islamic sect of Boko Haram. However, the euphoria that greeted the massive victory recorded by Nigerian troops over the insurgents was cut short by news that one of the aircraft used to complement the troops on ground has been missing since Friday.

As the search continues, the Nigerian military, according to the county’s media, has alerted the neighboring countries including Cameroon, Chad and Niger to the missing Nigerian Air Force aircraft; even as there is anxiety over what could have been responsible for the plane's disappearance.

Leadership (a Nigerian newspaper) reported military sources as saying the search-and-rescue team “is not ruling out extending their search beyond our border,” but that would be after combing every nook and cranny of the north-east.

Reports on Friday said Nigerian troops successfully flushed out Boko Haram insurgents from their hideouts and liberated some towns that had been declared part of “caliphate” by the terrorists in an operation that lasted several hours. But on Saturday, information came in that an Air Force Alfa jet on a regular mission in the campaign to eliminate the insurgents went missing with two crew members on board.

“An Alpha jet (NAF 466) belonging to the Nigerian Air Force is missing around Adamawa State. The aircraft, with two pilots on board, left Yola at about 10:45am on 12 September 2014 on a routine operational mission and was expected back by 12:00 noon.

Since then all efforts to establish contact with the aircraft have not yielded any positive result. Meanwhile, search and rescue effort is ongoing to establish contact with the crew,” the Nigerian Defense Headquarters said in a written statement on Sunday.