A committee of officers has been established by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to gather all claims of unintentional airstrikes against civilians and to examine the circumstances that may have led to such attacks.
This was said on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Air Operations Seminar in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, by Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).
He promised that the group would develop comprehensive strategies to reduce the likelihood of future NAF operations causing collateral damage to civilians.
Amao stated that the investigation intends to promote accountability, allowing NAF to learn important lessons to prevent or mitigate similar incidents in the future, as well as take further precautions to reduce injury and casualties to civilians in war zones.
According to a statement by NAF spokesman Edward Gabkwet, “the attempts to avoid civilian casualties are not merely a reflection of NAF ideals as a Service, but also strategically important to our operations.”
He stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria have made tremendous progress in limiting and weakening the resources and capabilities of criminals who aim to destabilize the country.
Amao congratulated the 17 young pilots and urged them to be ready for the difficult task that lay ahead.