The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Thursday, arrived in Borno State, where he was briefed on efforts to recover a Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet which went missing on Wednesday evening after it lost contact with the radar.

The missing jet was involved in the anti-terror war against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province when it lost radar contact in the north-east state. The radar is the main air traffic control system for the airspace around airports. Air traffic controllers monitor aircraft within the airspace from the radar

NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, in a statement, said the CAS “arrived Maiduguri this morning and was briefed on ongoing search and rescue efforts in connection with the missing Alpha Jet aircraft. Gabkwet said Amao “urged pilots, engineers and technicians to remain undeterred and resolute in their commitment to ensuring that peace returns to the North East.” The NAF spokesman, however, did not disclose the number of officers onboard the yet-to-be-found jet.

The PUNCH had also reported that a NAF Beechcraft KingAir B350i crashed in Abuja in February with all seven officers onboard killed. The jet en route Minna in Niger State crashed close to the runway of the Abuja airport after reporting engine failure.

Source: The Punch