The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reacted to claims by terrorists of being behind the ill-fated surveillance helicopter in Niger State on Monday.
The Force said it would not give in to terrorist propaganda aimed at weakening the resolve of the force in collaboration with other troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to fight insecurity headlong and bring criminal elements in the country to their knees.
Director of NAF Public Relations, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet in a statement reacting to the viral video showing the alleged crashed aircraft and remains of soldiers, noted that those aiding and abetting the propaganda tendencies of terrorists, by spreading the videos of the alleged crash site with gory pictures of dead military personnel, should rethink the consequences of their actions on the morale of troops and families.
He said, “The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to a video circulating on social media platforms allegedly depicting the wreckage of the crashed MI-171 helicopter with bodies of victims at Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
“While it is not in the character of the NAF to respond to such claims, particularly one peddled by terrorists, concerns expressed by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to address the propaganda becomes imperative.
“Like all military organizations involved in counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations, incidences of fatalities, mishaps and crashes are sometimes inevitable.
“For the NAF, the last 8 years has seen an increased level of air operations in efforts at checkmating the nefarious activities of terrorists and criminal elements in the country.
“With heightened levels of air operations, occasioned by an enhanced fleet, the likelihood of air mishaps and accidents at times become unavoidable and inevitable due to various reasons.
“Indeed, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar said this much when he hosted Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State, on Tuesday 15 August 2023, at his office where he noted that the rates of aircraft accidents and incidences are directly proportional to the heightened level of air operations.
“While the NAF regrets such unfortunate incidents, especially as they involve the loss of lives of our colleagues, the Service will never shy away from unravelling the probable cause of the crash with a view to drawing lessons.
“For those aiding and abetting the propaganda tendencies of terrorists, deliberately or inadvertently, by spreading the videos of the alleged crash site with gory pictures of dead military personnel, the need to rethink the consequences of their actions on the morale of troops, families of deceased personnel as well as on Nigeria’s national security is imperative.
