NAF Bombing: Ministers, service chiefs arrive Maiduguri

*Accidental bombing not reflection of NAF’s Professionalism –Lai Mohammed

A federal government delegation led by the Chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, has arrived Maiduguri, Borno State, in respect of Tuesday’s bombing of a displaced persons’ camp in the state.

At least 52 persons were killed and 120 others injured after an Air Force jet mistakenly targeted the IDP camp at Rann, near the border with Cameroon, where people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency, lived.

The government delegation comprises the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, Ministers of Defence and Information; the Chief of Defense Staff, as well as the Chiefs of Army and Air Staffs.

The team left for the Borno Government House, where it will meet Governor Kashim Shettima.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is also part of the ministerial delegation, described the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno state by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jet, as utterly tragic, saying that it is not a true reflection of the Nigeria Air force professionalism that they are known for.

In a press statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday signed by the Senior Assistant to the Minister on media Segun Adeyemi, the Minister sends his condolences to the families of those who died in the unfortunate bombing and prays for quick recovery of the injured.

Alhaji Mohammed, who recently led members of the BBOG and the media to Yola, where the Air Component of the fight against Boko Haram is based, said he was particularly saddened because the accidental bombing is not a true reflection of the level of what he witnessed during the visit.

“One of the things we went away with after spending some two days at the Tactical Air Command in Yola is the strict adherence to operational guidelines and the high level of professionalism of the officers and men, especially the young pilots who fly high-risk missions day and night.

“Among others, we witnessed pre- and post-mission briefings for the pilots, the high attention paid to details, especially concerning emergencies and weather, and the evacuation plan in case of accidents. We heard that on several occasions during their sorties, fighter pilots have had to hold their fire after observing the movement of women and children in Sambisa. We also witnessed the same careful disposition when we flew to Sambisa with the pilots.

“It therefore came to me as a rude shock to learn, a few hours after leaving Yola that one of the fighter jets has accidentally bombed civilians including aid workers”, he said.

The Minister urged the Nigeria Air force (NAF) to continue to take the necessary measures to avoid civilian casualties, as it carries out its challenging task of keeping Nigerians safe.