The Nigerian Air Force on Friday dismissed as fake, claim by the Boko Haram sect that its fighters downed the missing alpha jet.
The NAF authorities had declared missing the NAF475 jet that went off the radar with two crew members on Wednesday.
However, a faction of Boko Haram led by Abubakar Shekau had earlier on Friday claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft in a viral video.
The NAF Director Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who reacted to the jihadists’ claim in a statement in Abuja, said the video clips were likely from a previous incident.
He said there were inconsistencies in the video, adding the lush vegetation in one of the clips had shown that the particular incident was not in the North-East.
Gabkwet said: “We have seen some videos but there is nothing that has proven that the aircraft in those clips belongs to us. Have you seen a Nigerian Air Force aircraft number or the body of a NAF pilot? Have you seen any NAF uniforms? Until we get all these details strengthen out, we are not going to go into speculation.
“That video could have been shot somewhere. I have seen four videos so far, one of them has lush vegetation in the background, and I wonder where they have such vegetation in the North-East. Unless they did something and they are releasing the clips bit by bit, we are waiting.
“Except we have evidence, these persons have families and you cannot go to their wives, parents, or wards with this information. You must bring concrete evidence. There must be something to show.”
