Boko Haram beheads pilot of missing plane

A new footage released by the dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram and obtained by AP, showed the beheading of a man believed to be one of the pilots of the Nigerian Air Force jet which went missing and later crashed earlier on September 11 after it left Yola, capital of Adamawa State, for a bombing campaign against the militants.

The video shows a man decked in a camouflage vest kneeling while an axe-wielding fighter stands menacingly next to him before eventually chopping off his head. Moments before the gruesome execution, the victim who spoke in English and identified himself as a wing commander in the Nigerian Air Force, revealed that they were undertaking a mission in the Kauri area of Borno State on September 11 when the plane suddenly crashed to the ground.

“We were shot down and our aircraft crashed. To this day I don’t know the whereabouts of my second pilot,” he said.

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the group who military forces claimed to have killed first in 2009, later 2013 and recently a few days ago, was also seen in the latest video, according to the AP, said the sect had downed about 10 military aircraft so far – a position the Nigerian soldiers openly disagreed with.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters has insisted Shekau is dead.

It said the video showing that the terrorist was alive could have been manipulated.

This claim was obtained from a statement the Defence Headquarters posted on its website on Friday, a day after Shekau released a video claiming that he was still alive.

The Defence Headquarters said there was no proof which indicated that the video was genuine.

It said the Nigerian Airforce jet that the Boko Haram claimed to have shot down had been missing before he was killed. It said that the dead Shekau could not have resurrected.

The Defence Headquarters said, “From immediate observation and what some online news outlets claimed to have seen, the video did not indicate when it was shot neither did it show any proof of life or currency such as screen time or date. The video also did not make any reference to anything that has happened since the impostor’s reported death.

“It is also noteworthy that the air plane said to be mentioned in the video had been missing before he was killed. It should not surprise anybody if the terrorists decide to manipulate pictures, clone another Shekau or upload a pre-recorded video all in a bid to prove invincible.

“As far as we are concerned, the individual who was appearing in video and claiming to be the leader of the terrorist group was killed in the Kondunga battle in September. The resemblance of the corpse and that of the eccentric character was incontrovertible. His identity was equally corroborated by people who knew him before we announced his death.”

Shekau had earlier described as “propaganda” the claim by the Defence Headquarters that he was killed early September in Kodunga, Borno State.

He had claimed in the 36-minute video that Boko Haram fighters shot down the Nigerian Air Force fighter jet which was reported missing three weeks ago.

In the video, Shekau stands in front of three camouflaged vans, flanked by four heavily armed and masked fighters.

He said, “I hereby put to lie the claim that I was killed. Here I am alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath. I challenge you (military), I challenge you. You even said I was killed. If you killed me, does that mean you killed (the) religion? You are not honest. You have no proof, you have nothing to say.”

But an Abuja-based security analyst, Mike Adelakun, asked the military to stop feeding Nigerians with lies about the death of the terrorist leader.

Adelakun told Saturday PUNCH that there was no justifiable reason the military should conclude that Shekau had been killed without a thorough investigation and confirmation.

He admitted that the sect could have been using manipulation to deceive the military and the world that its leader had not been killed.

Adelakun said, “It is possible that the sect leader had been killed and the group is now seeking all available means to get attention. For many days now, there have been no activities linked to the deadly group, which could make an average Nigerian believe that Shekau is indeed dead.

“But the military supposed to have investigated properly before giving the public a confirmation that the sect leader is truly indeed. There a number of technologies like imaging techniques and others to confirm such. By now, the Defence Headquarters should be sure of whatever it wants to say before saying it. Otherwise, their respect will be lost.”

The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, assured Nigerians the ongoing counter terrorism operation was yielding the expected results in the operational area.

The Defence Spokesman urged Nigerians not to despair, stressing that the military was committed to the sustenance of the ongoing operation to cripple the activities of the Boko Haram in the country.

He said, “I can assure you that no level or amount of barbaric display of bestial atrocities will distract the Nigerian military from sustaining the tempo of ongoing operations to decimate, degrade and bring the remnants of the terrorists already in disarray to due justice.

“The campaign against terror is still recording the expected result in the front. Nigerians should not despair.”