The Punch
A Sweden-based analyst, Hugo Kaaman, has said terror group, Boko Haram, doctored a video it released on Friday which claimed the terrorists gunned down a Nigeria Air Force Alpha jet, which disappeared from the radar on Wednesday.
Kaaman, “an independent open-source researcher, with a heavy focus on the use of Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices by armed non-state actors”, said the video was from a 2012 incident involving a Syrian Air Force helicopter.
The PUNCH had reported that two personnel on the missing NAF Alpha jet were feared dead following reports that the aircraft had crashed at the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State.
NAF identified the two men as Flt Lts. John Abolarinwa and Ebiakpo Chapele.
Boko Haram had claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft in a viral video on Friday.
The Abubakar Shekau-led faction of the Boko Haram sect released the footage of a crashed jet with one of its fighters standing on the wreckage. A body was also seen in the wreckage of the aircraft.
The Air Force, however, dismissed claims by the terror group that it gunned down the missing Alpha jet.
Commenting on the footage released by Boko Haram, Kaaman tweeted on Saturday, “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 (Boko Haram) took a 2012 video showing a SyAAF (Syrian Air Force) helicopter exploding mid-air over Idlib and superimposed it. Weak
“Just to be clear, the jet really crashed. 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 shoot down itself.”
See tweet:
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 pic.twitter.com/f6dNFJ5dXO
— Hugo Kaaman (@HKaaman) April 3, 2021
