The Nigerian Air Force has dismissed the claim in a video by Boko Haram where the terrorist group said it shot down a missing alpha jet.
Boko Haram in a video released on Friday showed what appeared to be the downing of an aircraft and some Boko Haram fighters standing close to the parts of a downed aircraft.
In reaction, air force spokesperson Edward Gabkwet said the video released by Boko Haram was mere propaganda and the video doctored.
“Although the video is still being thoroughly analysed, it is evident that most parts of the video were deliberately doctored to give a false impression that the aircraft was shot down.
“For instance, the video clip failed to show the correlation between the sporadic shooting, which even from casual observation was obviously aimed at ground targets, and the sudden mid-air aircraft explosion,” the NAF statement read in part.
The airforce added that the situation is an air accident, not an attack by Boko Haram as claimed.
“It is obvious that the Boko Haram Sect, in its characteristic manner of employing false propaganda, is seeking to claim credit for what was obviously an air accident that could have been caused by several other reasons; particularly at a time when the capability of the group to inflict mayhem has been significantly degraded by the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” the statement added.
The air force had earlier on Wednesday declared the jet missing during an operation against the terrorists in Borno.
Then, on Thursday the air force said the jet may have crashed but the cause of the crash was yet to be ascertained. It also named the two pilots in the jet who were still missing.
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