Military probes alleged beheading of pilot

Military probes alleged beheading of pilot

The military yesterday said it was still probing the claim by Boko Haram that it beheaded one of the pilots whose fighter jet was declared missing about three weeks ago.
The investigation includes the last communication between the pilot and the control tower in Yola, Adamawa State.
The last minutes of the two pilots were also relayed to our correspondent by a reliable Defence source.
According to the military source: “Experts are doing forensic analysis of Boko Haram to ascertain whether it was a make-believe or there were really encounters between the pilots and the insurgents.
“The alleged claim of beheading of the pilot was part of the video clip purportedly released by Boko Haram on Thursday.
“We are in receipt of the ‘gory’ clip. We are studying every bit of it in line with military ethics. Do not forget that there might also be an element of propaganda on the part of the insurgents. The video clip has a tint of psychological warfare, but the military is undaunted.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “The report on the last minutes of the pilots indicated that they had completed their mission and were returning to their base.
“They had their last successful assignment in seized areas in Adamawa State. Something was wrong while returning to base. This is what we are looking at.
“So, they had a successful outing on that day. This is why the military had considered the likelihood of the jet being shot by Boko Haram as ‘remote.’
“These pilots were among the best in the Air Force; they were always willing to go to the war front even when others were a bit sceptical of the weather or mode of operation. They were thorns in the flesh of the insurgents and they accounted for many successful air strikes we have recorded.
“We have retrieved communication data to know whether the plane got missing because of mechanical challenge or otherwise.”
The new video shows Boko Haram leader ‘Abubakar Shekau’ disputing claims of his death, and the beheading of a man who identifies himself as the pilot of a missing Air Force jet.
It shows burnt out plane parts with military markings.
Two pilots and their Alpha jet have been missing since September 11.
The man beheaded with an axe identifies himself as a wing commander, saying he has not seen his second pilot since the jet was shot down.
The military claims to have killed Shekau last year.
The video was made available to the AP through the usual channels and seems to show the same man who appeared in previous videos.