We did not kill Chibok girls, NAF reacts to B’Haram video

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has denied killing any of the kidnapped Chibok girls as claimed by the violent Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram.

Boko Haram had claimed in its latest video that NAF fighter jets killed some of the girls abducted from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno in 2014.

However, NAF, in a statement on Tuesday, by its Director of Public Relations, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the video released by Boko Haram was a ruse and a mischievous effort by the sect to draw public attention to itself.

It also said the video provided no evidence that the supposed casualty was a result of air to ground attack, adding that it was a make-up story to discredit the NAF.

The NAF also released its own video showing precision target attack.

Read also: FG sacks 23, suspends 11 over persistent jailbreaks

According to the NAF statement, it’s planes only target confirmed terrorists.

The NAF spokesman also said the force has put-in place a number of measures to avoid the incidence of collateral damage, adding that considerable effort is committed to undertaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, both day and night, to ensure that only legitimate military targets are engaged.

According to him, the Nigerian Airforce will not undertake any mission where there are doubts as to the status of the target.

Famuyiwa called on Nigerians to disregard the video from Boko Haram, while also assuring those living in the vicinity of NAF operations of their safety.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now