Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, SSA Media Garba Shehu with the injured NAF pilot in hospital

Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari has commiserated with a pilot of the ill-fated Nigerian Air Force fighter jet that crashed in the Katampe area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Friday.

He was accompanied by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu during their visit to the Defence Intelligence Agency’s Hospital in Abuja.

They were briefed by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar.

The surviving pilot was placed on drips as he lay on the hospital bed.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the that two Air Force jets were taking part in the rehearsals for the 58th Independence Day celebrations when they reportedly collided..

The second pilot has died.

A witness said after the collision, a loud sound was heard by people in the area.

One of the witnesses said he noticed that three Air Force personnel ejected from the jet but two of them drew open their parachute and landed, but the other was unable to open his parachute.

“He landed on the rocky hill and died instantly. The other jet roved and later flew away. Few minutes later; a joint security personnel arrived and cordoned off the scene.

“Some of those security personnel entered the bush leading to the mountain and carried the injured people to a hospital but the other was packed in a human bag”, he said.