A jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force had been said to have crashed at Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Lapai TV, a Niger State-based online digital television network made this disclosure on Saturday via it’s official Facebook page.
“Two Nigerian Air Force Pilots Reportedly Survive Alpha Jet Crash Close to Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State,”
Accrording to an eye-witness account, the two pilots successfully ejected before the aircraft went down.
“I think the aircraft took off from the Kainji air force base. We learnt that the air force is mobilising to the crash site.”
“It happened some miles away from my home. Actually, the incident happened at Karabonde town of Borgu Local Government at around 4:10.
“We were all at our respective homes when suddenly, we saw an Alpha Jet that was coming closer to our roof with smoke and flames. Thank God it could have crashed inside town, but the pilots on board were able to control it and took it some miles away from our hometown. Let me say it landed in the backyard of the town. But God so kind, the two pilots ejected safely using their parachutes.
“Immediately, the plane crashed, and we heard a loud sound. Some of us were scared. We were thinking it was miscreants who shot the place. When we heard it, some people ran away.
“But I stood because I was somehow scared. People started running to the scene, and I joined them. When we got there, we saw the pilots. They had successfully ejected, and they left the scene shortly before we arrived, and they were taken successfully back to their base. Upon arrival, we saw them from a far distance, finding their way.
“The plane was on fire for about 30 minutes. My town shares a boundary with the military base, so upon raising an alarm, men from their base were mobilised, and a fire truck came,” he said.