The Nigeria Air Force (NAF) on Monday refuted claims that one of its helicopters had crashed in Kaduna State. The NAF clarified that the incident involved an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which experienced a mishap shortly after take-off for a mission.
This clarification was made in a statement signed by Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information.
Earlier reports had suggested that a NAF helicopter had crashed early Monday morning in Tami village, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna. It was reported that military personnel swiftly secured the crash site to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the safety of the villagers.
However, the NAF’s official statement countered these reports, stating: “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 Base. Since it is an unmanned vehicle, there were no casualties on board or on the ground.”
The NAF also announced that a preliminary investigation has commenced to determine the cause of the mishap and assured Nigerians that this “minor setback” would not affect ongoing operations.
Furthermore, the NAF cautioned against the dissemination of unverified information. The statement emphasized the importance of responsible journalism, stating, “It should also be pointed out that the propensity to always rush to press in the name of ‘breaking news’ without a 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.”
