WorldStage Newsonline– The Nigeria Airforce (NAF), has denied a report that it did not respond to call for support when suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Takulashi Village in Shikarkir Ward, Chibok Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State.
NAF in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola on Monday said the NAF did not receive any call for support regarding an attack at Takulashi Village in Chibok LGA on 1 November 2020.
He said, “ 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’.
Air commodore Daramola, however explained 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.
According to him, the NAF had 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.
“ 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”.
