Niger Crash: Don’t Aid Terrorists’ Propaganda, Dampen Troops’ Morale, NAF Begs Nigerians

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has called on Nigerians aiding and abetting the terrorists’ propaganda, deliberately or inadvertently, by spreading the videos of the purported crash site of a NAF helicopter with gory pictures of dead military personnel, to think about consequences of their actions on troops’ morale and Nigeria’s national security.

The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet, stated this while reacting to a video circulating on social media platforms purportedly depicting the wreckage of the crashed MI-171 helicopter with bodies of victims at Chukuba Village in Shiroro local government area of Niger State.

LEADERSHIP reports that the NAF helicopter had crashed on Monday during casualty evacuation mission.

The NAF spokesperson said it was not in the character of the Air Force to respond to terrorists’ propaganda, but for concerns expressed by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to address the propaganda becomes imperative.

He said, like all military organisations involved in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, “incidences of fatalities, mishaps and crashes are sometimes inevitable.”

Air Commodore Gabkwet noted that the NAF has, in the last eight years, seen an increased level of air operations in efforts aimed 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,” he said.

He recalled that the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, stated this much when he hosted Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at his office where he noted that the rates of aircraft accidents/incidences were 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”.
He reiterated that the NAF and the entire members of the Armed Forces, “our resolve and determination to bring the current security situation in Niger State and indeed all troubled spots in the country remains unshaken. Infact, if anything, we are determined more than ever before, to take on the enemy frontally until they are brought to their knees,” he added.

He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to continue to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies as they jointly confront the common enemies.

NAF expressed appreciation to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his message of condolence and words of encouragement.