Following the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno State by a fighter jet of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammad, on Wednesday said the incident was not the true reflection of the level of NAF’s professionalism.
Recall that a NAF fighter jet had yesterday accidentally bombed a civilian community in Rann, Borno State, during a final phase of mop up operation in the state.
Reacting to the incident, Mohammed described the situation that led to the death of civilians including aid workers as tragic.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Segun Adeyemi and made available to DAILY POST, the Minister said he was saddened because the accidental bombing was not a true reflection of the level of professionalism that he witnessed during the visit to NAF base in Yola, Adamawa State.
The Minister recently led members of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, and the media to Yola, where the Air Component of the fight against Boko Haram is based.
He,however, sends his condolences to the families of those who died in the unfortunate bombing and prays for quick recovery for the injured.
Mohammed urged NAF to continue to take the necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties, as it carries out its challenging task of keeping Nigerians safe.
The statement reads, ”One of the things we went away with after spending some two days at the Tactical Air Command in Yola is the strict adherence to operational guidelines and the high level of professionalism of the officers and men, especially the young pilots who fly high-risk missions day and night.
”Among others, we witnessed pre- and post-mission briefings for the pilots, the high attention paid to details, especially concerning emergencies and weather, and the evacuation plan in case of accidents. We heard that on several occasions during their sorties, fighter pilots have had to hold their fire after observing the movement of women and children in Sambisa. We also witnessed the same careful disposition when we flew to Sambisa with the pilots.
”It, therefore, came to me as a rude shock to learn, a few hours after leaving Yola, that one of the fighter jets has accidentally bombed civilians, including aid workers.”
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