..Decry BH Propaganda
A Sweden-based security analyst, Mr Hugo Kaaman, has accused the Boko Haram sect of deceiving Nigerians and particularly Nigeria Air Force (NAF) with a clip from a 2012 incident in Syria to claim responsibility for the missing Alpha Jet (NAF 475) belonging to NAF.
It would be recalled that Boko Haram militant group had on Friday claimed it shot down the Nigerian fighter jet which went missing on Wednesday, following a statement by the Air Force that it might have crashed.
However, in the video released by Boko Haram, members of the sect were seen moving towards the debris of the aircraft to remove components of the aircraft and personal effects of the pilots.
Commenting on the video, Kaaman said the explosion was that of an incident involving a SyAAF helicopter in 2012.
“Boko Haram just released a video claiming it shows a NAF jet shot down by the group. Looking at the video, it appears as if the jet explodes mid-air. However, this is not true. BH took a 2012 video showing a SyAAF helicopter exploding mid-air over Idlib and superimposed it. Weak.
“It’s unclear whether this was due to hostile fire or technical issues. The wreckage can be seen in the same Boko Haram video. This video merely highlights Boko Haram’s fake footage of the shootdown itself,” he said while comparing both videos.
Earlier, Edward Gabkwet, Spokesman of the air force, had said Boko Haram fighters were not capable of bringing down the jet. “Although the video is still being thoroughly analysed, it is evident that most parts of the 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 Armed Forces of Nigeria,” he said in a statement.
Also, Abubakar Ismail, a security expert, who reviewed the video also said it was unlikely that Boko Haram took down the jet, adding that the insurgents only attempted to take advantage of the crash to bolster its public perception.
“Bringing down an aircraft such as the one we saw will require serious precision and a ballistic missile; it was not a helicopter. But the fact that it went in flames mid-air showed that something happened.”
The Alpha Jet (NAF 475) was on a mission against the insurgents in the Northeast when it lost contact with radar in Borno State on Wednesday evening.
The NAF has since named the pilots on board the ill-fated aircraft which it said may have crashed.
NAF spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet, had said the pilots on the missing jet are Flight Lieutenant John Abolarinwa and Flight Lieutenant Ebiakpo Chapele.
