PRESS RELEASE
NAF DID NOT RECEIVE ANY ‘RESCUE CALLS’
REGARDING ATTACK ON BORNO VILLAGE ON 1
NOVEMBER 2020
The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF)
has been drawn to a publication in an online
platform alleging that it “did not respond to calls
for support when suspected Boko Haram
insurgents attacked Takulashi Village in Shikarkir
Ward, Chibok Local Government Area (LGA) of
Borno State in the morning of Sunday, 1
November 2020”; an information which the report
alleges it obtained from supposed “military
sources”. The NAF wishes to state that there is
absolutely no iota of truth in the spurious
allegations. Indeed, we ordinarily would not have
responded to such baseless, unfounded
allegations but for the need to set the record
straight as well as reaffirm the NAF’s unflinching
commitment to ensuring the security of Nigeria
and Nigerians, wherever they may reside in the
Country.
For the avoidance of doubt, it must be stated
that the NAF did not receive any call for support
regarding an attack at Takulashi Village in
Chibok LGA on 1 November 2020. Had any such
report been received, the NAF, in its
characteristic responsiveness, would have
certainly taken appropriate action. Indeed, the
report rightly remarked that “if air support came
on time, one or two air strikes would have
decimated them”. However, no request in this
regard was made to the Air Task Force of
Operation LAFIYA DOLE (ATF OPLD) on the said
date. Accordingly, it was very wrong of the
report to state, without any basis, that the NAF
‘ignored rescue calls’.
It is pertinent to highlight that the NAF, through
the ATF OPLD, has flown over 26,000 hours of
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
(ISR) and air interdiction missions as well as
close air support missions in support of
Operation LAFIYA DOLE in the last 5 years. The
NAF has been working ‘hand-in-glove’ with other
security agencies and has a crop of well-trained,
highly-motivated young pilots that are ever ready
and willing to respond to emergencies, whenever
called upon. Hence, it is utterly ludicrous to
insinuate that the NAF would fail to respond to
any such situation, if called upon. The general
public is therefore enjoined to discountenance
the evidently false report.
It is equally disingenuous of the online medium
to refer to an isolated incident that had its
peculiar nuances of predisposition to collateral
damage as a basis for justifying their blatantly
false claims. This smacks of gross
unprofessionalism and obvious deliberate intent
at mischief.
The NAF, as a professional and disciplined force,
has and will continue to do its utmost to ensure
the security of Nigeria and Nigerians across the
Country. We remain resolute in performing our
function and will continue to work in synergy with
other security agencies to rid the Country of
insurgents. Hence, we will not be distracted by
such evidently orchestrated attempts to tarnish
the hard-earned, good image of the Service.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations & Information
Nigerian Air Force
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