Lawrence Olaoye, Abuja 
President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the gallant pilot of the Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, who successfully ejected from an aircraft that came under intense ground fire from bandits in Zamfara State, Northwest, at the weekend.
The Zamfara bandits had on Sunday shot down a Nigerian Alpha jet aircraft with the pilot successfully ejecting from the from the crashed plane.
The latest crash made it at least four air crashes involving Nigerian military planes in the last seven months.
According to his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, while briefing on the successful operation by the nation’s defence forces to rescue the pilot, Buhari said he was pained by news of the air crash.
“I was shocked by the devastating news of the air crash but felt much relieved, following the successful ejection by the pilot and his eventual rescue. May the injured pilot recover at the earliest time,” he said.
