Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), has visited the families and victims of recent accidental air strikes in Nasarawa State.
Recall that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft accidentally bombed civilians during operations near Rukubi in Doma Local Government Area on January 24.
A statement yesterday in Abuja by NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshall Edward Gabkwet, said Air Marshal Abubakar apologised to the victims and their families over the accidental bombing.
The statement quoted the CAS as saying the NAF pilot had targeted suspected terrorists and cattle rustlers, following worsening insecurity in the area at the time.
Abubakar noted that the primary responsibility of the NAF is safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians.
He said the service would not deliberately engage in acts that put the lives of Nigerians at risk.
During a visit to Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, the CAS solicited the state’s support to interface with the representatives of the victims.
Doing so, he said, would assist in answering some important questions, promote accountability and transparency as well as enable the NAF to learn valuable lessons to mitigate similar incidents, going forward.
“Our efforts to mitigate civilian casualties as well as take responsibility in the event of accidental strikes are not just a reflection of our values as a service but also strategically imperative to our operations,” Abubakar said.
