The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Tuesday described a video released by Boko Haram purportedly showing NAF fighter jets killing some of the abducted Chibok girls as a ruse and a mischievous effort by the sect to draw public attention to itself.
In a statement signed by Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, NAF Director of Public Relations, the Air Force said the video provided no evidence that the supposed casualty was a result of air to ground attack.
He said the video was a make-up story to discredit the NAF and more importantly to whip up public sentiments for the terrorist sect.
In a video posted online on Sunday, Boko Haram had claimed that the NAF air strikes had killed some of the girls and promised to release a video of the killing.
The NAF however yesterday released its own video showing its precision target attack while maintaining that it’s planes only target confirmed terrorists.
Famuyiwa said: “It is pertinent to state that the video is not only a ruse but another mischievous effort by the dying sect to draw public attention to itself. Whereas the video showed a cross section of the abducted girls and an airborne aircraft, it provided no evidence that the supposed casualties were as a result of any air to ground attack.
“More so, there is sufficient evidence to believe that the casualties were arranged as the positioning of the bodies clearly defies any natural setting of a location that has undergone aerial bombardment. Besides, the impact and accompanying degree of damage to the bodies would have been more, were they to have died from air strike.
“It is therefore clear that the video is a make-up story to discredit the NAF, and more importantly, a deliberate effort to weep up sentiment among the public in order to dissuade and discontinue the use of airpower which has proved very effective as the major determinant factor in the successes recorded in the ongoing counter insurgency operations in the North East,” he said.
Famuyiwa reiterated that the NAF has put-in place a number of measures to avoid the incidence of collateral damage.
He said considerable effort is committed to undertaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, both day and night, to ensure that only legitimate military targets are engaged.
The spokesperson said where there are doubts about target status, the NAF will not undertake strike missions.
Famuyiwa assured Nigerians living in the vicinity of NAF operations of their safety while urging them to disregard the video being circulated by Boko Haram.
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