Airforce dismisses Boko Haram claims of gunning down fighter jet

Nigerian Air Force insists that the alpha jet that went missing on Wednesday during a combat operation in Borno state was not shot down by Boko Haram as claimed by the group.

The Air Force had on Thursday said the Air craft “might have crashed.”

But bare 24 hours later, Boko Haram through a video on Friday claimed responsibility for the crash of the air craft.

However, the Air Force in a statement on Friday evening by its spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet dismissed the Boko Haram claims.

Gabkwet said “most parts of the Boko Haram’s video were deliberately doctored to give the false impression that the aircraft was shot down.”

“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 military,” the statement said.