The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has clarified that the incident reported on July 1, 2024, involved an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) rather than a helicopter, as earlier stated by some media outlets.
This clarification came through a statement issued by Air Marshal Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information, and made available to the press on Monday.
The statement emphasized that no NAF helicopter crashed in Kaduna. Instead, an NAF UAV experienced a mishap shortly after take-off for a mission near Rumji Village, approximately 15 kilometers from the base.
“Since it is an unmanned vehicle, there were no casualties on board or on the ground. A preliminary investigation has since commenced to ascertain what may have caused the mishap. Nigerians can rest assured that this minor setback will not, in any way, impinge on all ongoing operations,” the statement read.
Air Marshal Gabkwet also criticized the rush to publish unverified information, noting the erroneous reports by some media outlets claiming a helicopter crash. He stressed the importance of balanced and fair reporting, urging media practitioners to verify information from authorized military sources before disseminating it as news.
“This attitude should be discouraged as it negates the principles of developmental journalism, balanced reporting, and fairness,” the statement continued. “Members of the media are again advised to always seek clarification from authorized military outlets before rushing to ‘break’ the news.”
The NAF reassured the public that the ongoing operations would continue unaffected by this incident and called for responsible journalism practices to ensure accurate information dissemination.
