“The team comprised of the Director of Coordination and Cooperation of the Civil-Military Relations Branch Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet was welcomed by Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state at the Government House.”
In the course of the meeting, the team leader stressed the strong policy of professional and transparent behaviour of NAF and compliance with international practices. He underlined that all citizens’ life and well-being is valued in NAF, and underlined this statement as the major value of the Service.
He also thanked the governor for hosting and supporting him, despite the short notice he had given before arriving.
Recognising the dynamics of warfare, he said that although the deaths of civilians were unfortunate, they were inevitable in most operations against insurgent groups. The governor also stressed that probably it was not a premeditated incident according to the information he gained and underlined his support for the NAF.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, said the team was deployed at the behest of CAS, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, following a reported case of civilian casualty in an airstrike carried out by the NAF yesterday in Zamfara State on Saturday 11 January 2025.
He said, that in Zamfara, the team will, therefore, have to interact and collaborate with state and local government and other stakeholders extensively for the required complete thorough review that will lead to further right next step actions.
Gabkwet disclosed that the team’s tasks in the state were to investigate the incident as alleged and come up with clear findings of their probe.
On his part, Lawal reiterated his solidarity with the military especially the NAF in their operations to address the act of banditry.
He called on the team to communicate to the CAS his appreciation for the important function the NAF is still performing in containing Zamfara state.
The team, thereafter, went to Tungar Kara, the scene of the airstrikes, to evaluate the on-the-ground situation and conditions.
The collected vital data and information would undergo elaborate analysis and feed major input towards boosting the capacity of the NAF in the protection of the citizens and their properties in due course of the operation against banditry and terrorism in the northwest zone.
