The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says a media organisation’s headline on its operational deployments for the March 9 governorship and State House of Assembly elections was misleading.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
He said the headline, Air Force: Fighter Jets, Attack Helicopters on Standby Against Election Violence” on the front page of a national newspaper was misleading and misrepresented facts about the NAF operational deployments for the governorship elections.
“The headline was not only misleading but a misrepresentation of the facts about the NAF operational deployments for the 2019 Gubernatorial Elections.”
According to him, NAF on March 6, issued a statement on its plans to support the Nigeria Police in ensuring peaceful conduct of the forthcoming Governorship and States’ House of Assembly Elections on March 9.
“The statement highlighted that the CAS directed AOCs and field commanders to ensure safety of lives and properties in their various locations in addition to the deployment of NAF aircraft, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.
“The NAF ISR platforms and light utility helicopters are deployed to provide surveillance over potential flash points across the country to ensure peaceful conduct of elections. NAF fighter aircraft and attack helicopters are currently deployed to areas where NAF is involved in anti-banditry and counter-terrorism/counter-insurgency operations”.
“For instance, March 8, 2019, the Air Task Force of Operation LAFIYA DOLE carried out an air interdiction mission against a terrorists’ hideout on the fringes of Lake Chad in Northern part of Borno State,” Daramola said.
He said that NAF, as a professional fighting force, would continue to operate within the ambit of its constitutional role of defending the territorial integrity of the country and protecting the rights and liberties of all Nigerians.
The statement urged all eligible voters to come out to vote for the candidates of their choice as their security was assured. (NAN)
