Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) also known as drone experienced a mishap after taking off for a mission near Rumji Village, about 15 km from the Base in Kaduna.
This is contrary to reports that an NAF helicopter had crashed in Kaduna in the early hours of July 1, 2024.
The director of public relations and information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the incident and said there were no casualties.
He added that a preliminary investigation has since commenced to ascertain the cause of the crash.
He said, “Since it is an unmanned vehicle, there were no casualties on board or on the ground.
“Preliminary investigation has since commenced to ascertain what may have caused the mishap.”
He assured Nigerians that the “minor setback will not, in any way, impinge on all ongoing operations.”
He cautioned against the craze for breaking news.
He pointed out that the propensity to rush to press in the name of ‘breaking news’ without having the complete facts should be discouraged.
While the news of the crash filtered in, some outlets had misinformed Nigerians that a helicopter had crashed without the decency to clarify from the NAF.
He said this attitude should be discouraged as it negates the principle of developmental journalism, balanced reporting and fairness. He urged members of the media to always seek clarification from authorised military outlets before rushing to ‘break’ the news.
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