In a recent development, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, issued a formal apology to the Nasarawa State Government and the families affected by an accidental airstrike in January 2023. The incident, which took place in the Rukubi community of Doma, resulted in the tragic loss of civilian lives.
During a condolence visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule at the Government House in Lafia, Air Marshal Abubakar addressed the circumstances surrounding the airstrike. He clarified that the strike was unintentional and a tragic outcome of a targeted operation against terrorists. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had acted on intelligence about the presence of terrorists on motorcycles near the Rukubi community, leading to the inadvertent killing of innocent civilians.
Governor Abdullahi Sule acknowledged the complexity of military operations and the challenges they pose. Air Marshal Abubakar expressed the NAF’s commitment to ending the menace of kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, and cattle rustling in Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole.
In his response, Governor Sule appreciated the Nigerian Air Force for taking responsibility for its mistakes and expressed gratitude for their commitment to pacify the victims and their relatives. He shared the emotional impact of the incident, citing an example of an elderly man who lost nine children and over 80 cows to the airstrike. The governor assured continued support for the Nigerian Air Force’s efforts to protect the lives of the people.
The visit aimed to solicit the governor’s intervention in reaching out to the victims and their families, seeking ways to calm tensions and bring closure to the matter. The Nigerian Air Force emphasized that the accidental airstrike was not deliberate, and the visit was part of their efforts to address the aftermath and offer condolences to those affected.