A Nigerian Air Force jet went down on Saturday near Karabonde in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with both pilots managing to escape before the aircraft hit the ground.
Lapai TV, a local digital broadcaster in Niger State, first shared the report on its Facebook page, saying the two pilots survived after ejecting from the Alpha Jet. The station also posted a short video from the scene.
An eyewitness who spoke in a voice note and shared another video confirmed that the pilots parachuted out moments before the crash. He said, “I think the aircraft took off from the Kainji air force base. We learnt that the air force is mobilising to the crash site.”
A resident of the community, Lukman Sulaiman, also told The PUNCH that the incident happened around 4.10pm.
“The incident happened around 4.10pm. It landed very close to the town but God so good, the pilots ejected safely,” he said.
He added that the sound of the crash caused fear in the area. “Yes, we heard a noisy landing crash. We were scared. But we eventually started trooping back to the scene,” he said.
The military has not issued any official statement on the crash as of the time of filing this report. Further updates are expected.
