- Two Pilots Survive Nigerian Air Force Jet Crash in Niger.
- Eyewitnesses said the pilots ejected before the aircraft exploded in flames.
- The military is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
A Nigerian Air Force jet has crashed near Karabonde in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with both pilots surviving the incident.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the crash was first reported by Lapai TV, a digital media outlet based in Niger State, through a post on its official Facebook page on Saturday evening.
The platform shared a 57 second video from the scene, announcing that two Air Force pilots had survived an Alpha Jet crash close to Karabonde. Eyewitnesses who spoke with Punch confirmed the report, providing additional videos and a voice note describing how the incident occurred.
According to one eyewitness, the pilots ejected safely before the aircraft went down. He suggested that the jet may have taken off from the Kainji Air Force Base and noted that military personnel were already mobilising to the scene. “I think the aircraft took off from the Kainji Air Force Base. We learnt that the Air Force is mobilizing to the crash site,” he said.
Another resident, Lukman Sulaiman, told Punch that the crash happened around 4:10 PM near the community. He said the impact caused panic among locals. “It landed very close to town, but God so good, the pilots ejected safely,” Sulaiman noted. When asked about injuries, he added, “Yes, we heard a noisy landing crash. We were scared, but we eventually started trooping back to the scene.”
Videos circulating online show the crashed aircraft engulfed in flames as residents watched from a distance. As of the time this report was filed, the military had not released an official statement regarding the crash.
