UPDATED: Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashes in Kaduna – Report

An aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has crashed in Kaduna, PRNigeria has reported.

The online media, which has links to Nigeria’s security institutions, said the aircraft is a training aircraft.

“While details of the incident are still sketchy, sources told PRNigeria that two pilots were onboard the aircraft at the time of the incident,” the newspaper reported.

The Air Force has yet to speak about the crash at the time of this report. Its spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet, did not respond to telephone calls and SMS from PREMIUM TIMES.

However, a flying officer who does not want his name mentioned confirmed the incident to this newspaper.

The officer who is also a pilot and resides at the Air Force base in Kaduna said one of the two occupants of the aircraft was a trainee.

He, however, said the details were still sketchy to insiders as senior officials are concealing the information.

Kaduna is one of the states most troubled by banditry in Northern Nigeria.

Hundreds of people have been killed or kidnapped in the state in the past year.

Kaduna is also the state where bandits attacked a moving train on March 28, killing some of the passengers and kidnapping dozens of others.

ALSO READ: Super Tucano aircraft alone can’t fight insecurity – Air Chief

Past mishaps 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has suffered casualties in the last one year, losing at least four of its aircraft and several personnel.

At least 20 officers also died during these tragic incidents, including senior army personnel.

The most notable of the crashes was the one involving the late Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 others last year.

The crashes occurred even as the air force is trying to acquire more equipment to help in the fight against insurgents and bandits in various parts of the country.

The most recent is the acquisition of new aircraft and other equipment worth $1 billion from the U.S. government. The purchase has been approved by the U.S. government but the equipment have yet to be delivered.

Before then, 12 Super Tucano fighter jets were also acquired for the Air Force from the United States.

The jets were sold to Nigeria by the U.S. to aid combat actions and air assaults.