The Nigerian Airforce has acxepted that one of its Alpha Jet Aircraft which crashed in Zamfara state on Sunday while returning from a successful Air interdiction mission between the boundaries of Zamfara and Kaduna states was shot down by bandits.

The statement from the nation’s Air Force is coming after several denials that it’s aircraft crashed again in Kaduna State after the first one which killed a serving Chief Of Army Staff.

Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said the crash was caused by intense enemy fire from Armed Bandits adding that the pilot of the Aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo successfully ejected from the Aircraft.

According to the statement, Flight Lieutenant Dairo was able to evade the bandit’s under the cover of darkness after the crash when he used his phone set to navigate several of the bandit’s strongholds until he got to an Army unit where he was rescued

The statement reads, “On 18 July 2021, at about 12.45 pm, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft, returning from a successful air interdiction mission between the boundaries of Zamfara and Kaduna State, came under intense enemy fire which led to its crash in Zamfara State”.