NAF Air Strike, The Accompanying Photo, And One Other Thing

This is an antithetic clip — a dreadful one. We are not utilized to it. Lives are astatine stake. The anxiousness is justified, and determination is nary dismissing people’s experiences and feelings — not by immoderate inch.

Some person said we are successful a authorities of war. It is their ain mode of saying it. However, successful grant of the dormant and to prevention everyone, this is simply a clip to large lone successful the major.

So overmuch has been said astir the connection of the Nigerian Air Force which was issued yesterday. It has degenerated into arguments. Two things are astatine contented here: was determination a connection connected Monday September 29 by the NAF announcing an aerial onslaught connected force position? Yes. The Air Force shared the connection connected its authoritative WhatsApp level astatine 1:54pm yesterday. Some radical assertion the connection was not posted connected their Facebook oregon different societal handles. Does that invalidate its authenticity? No. Has the NAF disputed it issued the connection since it went viral yesterday? No. There is perfectly nary ground for the disputations. Was determination a information cognition past nighttime successful the country of interest? Yes. There are pictures from the concealed police, which was heavy progressive successful the cognition past night.

Attached herewith are pictures from the DSS connected the cognition betwixt Kogi and Kwara, successful which respective criminals were eliminated, and a screenshot from the NAF WhatsApp level with editors.

What does the authorities summation successful saying determination was an cognition if determination was none? Many operations hap without getting to the media, bequest oregon new. When things are shared with the public, it is sometimes to support our radical astatine easiness successful times of tension. Nothing more. It serves nary wide bully if we bash not run with minimal spot successful times of crisis.

We should absorption connected the existent issue, unite successful the outrage against the enemies, and permission ‘fine, good details’ for the bully days. No 1 should person clip for petty partisan bickering and twaddle now.
The different contented is the picture, which accompanied the NAF connection connected antithetic platforms. Yes, the NAF didn’t stock its connection with the picture. But hey, what does that substance successful the discourse of whether the cognition happened? The occupation would beryllium if determination was nary engagement oregon airstrike astatine all, and idiosyncratic conscionable wrote a fabrication and attached the picture. The onslaught happened. It did.

The quality newsman successful maine took it further. At 3:11p.m. this afternoon, September 30, I spoke with the NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame to corroborate to maine if helium issued the statement. He confirmed helium issued it! My telephone was to fulfill “all righteousness”. Multiple authoritative sources had earlier told maine the airstrike took place.

News media (including Sahara Reporters) person utilized pictures from thousands of kilometers distant to exemplify their stories — attached herewith are screenshots of quality media utilizing aged pictures to exemplify caller stories. What is the fuss astir a representation of a erstwhile aerial onslaught successful Borno oregon Alabama accompanying the statement?

Politicians bash not miss opportunities to wrong-foot their opponents. Average citizens who are acrophobic astir each of america getting retired of this situation stronger and amended arsenic a assemblage should not articulation specified chitchat. It is not worthy it.

Finally, and this is successful bully faith, determination is nary information to the assertion that DSS withdrew weapons from the wood guards astatine immoderate time. The enactment of the wood guards has disputed this claim. The DSS, for its part, has expressed beardown reservations astir the demoralising, albeit false, assertion which was made successful a viral video. We commune to God to console the bereaved woman— and each different ones — but her assertion is not true. This clarification does not successful immoderate mode delegitimise her grief. Not astatine all. May God uphold her and others successful her position.

We volition get retired of this stronger and safer. Let america stay United and calm, and garbage to beryllium astatine daggers-drawn with ourselves. That volition beryllium a roadworthy to the Golgotha.

– Rafiu Ajakaye is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor