The Nigerian Air Force has said that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was involved in an incident, not a helicopter, as was earlier reported in some social and traditional media.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Marshall Edward Gabkwet, on Monday and made available to newsmen.
The statement noted that “contrary to reports on social media as well as on a handful of traditional media outlets that a NAF helicopter had crashed in Kaduna earlier today, July 1, 2024, be informed that no helicopter crash occurred. Instead, an NAF Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) experienced a mishap after take-off for a mission at a location near Rumji Village and about 15 km 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.
“It should also be pointed out that the propensity to always rush to press in the name of ‘breaking news’ without hold of the complete facts should be discouraged in its entirety.
While the news of the crash filtered in, some outlets had misinformed Nigerians that a helicopter had crashed without the decency to clarify from the NAF.
The statement noted that “this attitude should be discouraged as it negates the principles of developmental journalism, balanced reporting, and fairness.
“Members of the media are again advised to always seek clarification from authorised military outlets before rushing to ‘break’ the news, the statement declared.
