MAKURDI – A Nigerian Air Force Fighter Jet F-7Ni at the early hours of Wednesday, crashed at Mbaniongu Mbazaam, near Yandev in Gboko local government area of Benue State.

The ill fated jet crash landed near the Yandev Community Secondary School, at kilometer 4, Buruku road, but no casualties were recorded in the accident.

In a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer of the Tactical Air Command of the force in Makurdi, Wing Commander Adebayo Makun, the two pilots on board the aircraft successfully ejected from the craft.

According to Makun, a search and rescue team from the 305 Flying Training School has successfully rescued the two pilots back to base.

He said, “A NAF search and rescue helicopter from the 305 Flying Training School Enugu has already sighted and recovered the pilots to NAF medical hospital in Makurdi for medical attention”.

File photo: A Nigerian Airforce plane.

The Command’s spokesman further disclosed that the Chief of Air Staff has already ordered an investigative team to visit the site of the crash to ascertain the cause of the mishap.

“An investigative team ordered by the CAS is already at the crash site to ascertain the cause of the crash”, he said.

Meanwhile, the news of the air mishap had initially thrown the entire state into shock as the rumour mills had it that top Nigerian politicians who were on their way to Ushongo to commensurate with the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu on the death of his wife were involved in the air disaster.

It would be recalled that in September 17th, 2006, an 18 seater Dornier Airforce plane belonging to the Nigeria Air Force also crashed in Oko village in Vandeikya local government area of Benue State, killing 15 top military officers in that flight while three survived the crash.

In another statement , signed by Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, Director of Airforce Public Relations, in Abuja; it confirmed the crash and also said that no deaths were recorded as the two pilots on board the aircraft successfully ejected.

The statement reads, “A Nigerian Air Force F7-Ni aircraft, on a routine training exercise crashed this morning at Mbaniongu Mbazaam near Yandev Community Secondary School, Kilometer 4 Buruku Road Yandev, Benue State”.

“The two pilots on board the aircraft successfully ejected from the aircraft. A Nigerian Air Force Search and Rescue helicopter from 305 Flying Training School Enugu has already sighted and flown the pilots to the Nigerian Air Force Medical Hospital, Makurdi for medical assessment”.

“A preliminary investigation into the crash has been ordered by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal MD Umar to ascertain the cause of the accident”.

And this is how NAF's fleet becomes weaker.