By Abiola Olawale
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has debunked viral reports claiming that one of its helicopters crashed in Tami village, located in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The NAF who described the reports as untrue clarified that it was its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) popularly known as drone that crashed in Kaduna state in the early hours of Monday.
The Director, of Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Gabkwet, who urged Nigerians not to panic, stated that the incident was a minor setback. He added that the force has already commenced a preliminary investigation into the matter.
The statement reads in part: “Contrary to reports on social media as well as on a handful of traditional media outlets that a NAF helicopter had crashed in Kaduna earlier today, 1 July 2024, be informed that no helicopter crash occurred.
“Instead, a NAF Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) experienced a mishap after take-off for a mission, at a location near Rumji Village and about 15 Km from the Base. Since it is an unmanned vehicle, there were no casualties on board or the ground. A preliminary investigation has since commenced to ascertain what may have caused the mishap. Nigerians can rest assured that this minor setback will not, in any way, impinge on all ongoing operations.
“It should also be pointed out that the propensity to always rush to press in the name of ‘breaking news’ without hold of the complete facts should be discouraged in its entirety. 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. This attitude should be discouraged as it negates the principle of developmental journalism, balanced reporting and fairness. Members of the media are again advised to always seek clarification from authorized military outlets before rushing to ‘break’ the news.”
