A Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet has crashed near Karabonde community in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with both pilots onboard successfully ejecting before the aircraft went down.
The incident was first reported on Saturday evening by a Niger State–based digital television outlet, Lapai TV, which disclosed via its official Facebook page that the two pilots survived the crash.
An eyewitness earlier told PUNCH Online that the pilots ejected moments before the jet crashed, adding that the aircraft was believed to have taken off from the Kainji Air Force Base.
According to The PUNCH, a resident of the area, Lukman Sulaiman, said the jet narrowly avoided crashing into the town.
“It happened some distance from my house, around 4:10pm, at Karabonde town,” Sulaiman said.
“We suddenly saw an Alpha Jet coming very close to our roofs with smoke and fire. By God’s grace, it didn’t crash inside the town. The pilots managed to steer it away from the community before ejecting safely.”
He explained that residents were initially gripped by fear after hearing a loud explosion.
“When the aircraft crashed, we heard a big sound and many people were scared. Some thought it was an attack by miscreants. People started running, but later we moved closer to the scene,” he said.
According to Sulaiman, the aircraft was engulfed in flames for about 30 minutes, prompting the mobilisation of military personnel from a nearby base.
“Our town shares a boundary with the military base. Once the alarm was raised, soldiers arrived with a fire truck to control the situation,” he added.
