The downed Alpha Jet pilot, Flt. Lieut. Abayomi Dairo has disclosed that bandits ruthlessly unleashed terror on villagers where they suspected that he was hiding in attempt to capture him alive.
The Nigeria Airforce pilot narrated that many people were killed with several properties destroyed.
The Nigeria Airforce in an official statement confirmed that it’s fighter jet was shot down after a successful operation between Zamfara and Kaduna forests.
NAF pilot had survived after ejected himself before the plane went down.
In his explanation, he described bandits as terrorists, saying “they are ruthless like Boko haram, I don’t know why we still call them bandits”.
He said, “And making the decision to turn hard 90 degrees immediately the bandits lost sight of me on a sandy cliff where they couldn’t trace my footpath again.
“The CAS told me they got information that in turn, the bandits kept going straight in the direction I was initially going and they destroyed several villages and camps, killing plenty people, thinking those people harboured me”.
Dairo explained that the assailants who reportedly crashed the fighter jet “were more interested in capturing” him than “shooting” him even at point-blank range.
According to him he ran and walk for 30 kilometers with one strained leg.
Dairo revealed that while on his survival mission, NAF platforms overhead also helped him to deter the bandits by making some of the pins down while he kept running.
Dairo said he had, fortunately, made his way into a village where he was sheltered and cared for until NAF helicopters came to pick him up.
He added, “The village I eventually entered at night, I told God that the first person I see and call should favour me and that happened, he gave me clothes, pain-relieving drugs, food and water and even malt, and he organized for a bike to carry me to DanSadau early next morning.
“Throughout the night I couldn’t sleep, I was praying that the bandits don’t attack the village because my right leg was already swollen and very painful so I couldn’t jump fences or run again, plus I didn’t want to bring death upon innocent people, and it may force the guy to give me out to the bandits.
“They dropped me with their Emir who with pride and joy called the Army guys to come and meet me (they all had sleepless nights). NAF helicopters came to pick me up from there.”
