Pilot Dairo survives bandits assault on NAF fighter jet
abujareporter
Posted On July 19, 2021
After bandits shot down a fighter jet on the border of Zamfara and Kaduna states, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilot has survived.
According to reports on Sunday, a Nigerian Air Force fighter plane chasing bandits crashed in Kaduna, however information were vague.
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) published a statement on Monday confirming the incident and stating that the fighter jet’s pilot, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, had survived.
In a statement, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, said the pilot survived after successfully ejecting from the plane.
According to him, on July 18, 2021, at around 12.45 p.m., a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft, returning after a successful air interdiction operation between the frontiers of Zamfara and Kaduna States, came under heavy enemy fire, resulting in the aircraft’s crash in Zamfara State.
“Fortunately, the aircraft’s gallant pilot, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, successfully evacuated from the aircraft,” according to the statement.
The pilot, who came under heavy ground fire from the bandits, was able to elude them by using his survival instincts, according to Dairo, and sought safety in surrounding communities until sunset.
According to the statement, Dairo was able to flee multiple bandit strongholds by using the cover of darkness and his phone as a navigation device, and eventually made his way to a Nigerian Army unit, where he was rescued.
Despite the crash, NAF declared that it remained committed to carrying out President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate.
As it continued to carry out its assigned responsibilities, the NAF’s willingness, preparedness, and tested ability remained unshaken and unshakable, according to the statement.
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