The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar was in Port Harcourt earlier Wednesday August 23, 2023 to commiserate with the families of the deceased crew members of the helicopter that crashed in Niger State on 14 August 2023.
A Statement by the spokepersons Air commodore Edward Gabkwet says While condoling the families for the painful loss, Air Marshal Abubakar stated that the loss was a major setback for the NAF, which would take the Service some time to get over. He went on to assure the families that the Nigerian Air Force would, however, never abandon the families but would always stand by them till the end.
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He also assured them that their sacrifices would not be in vain as the NAF family, as well as all Nigerians, would forever remember them for giving their lives for the survival of the nation.
Air Marshal Abubakar also used the opportunity of the visit to interact with the officers and personnel of the unit. During the interactive session, the CAS expressed his condolence to the Unit and appreciated them for their commitment and efforts in the ongoing joint military operations in the Niger Delta. assuring them that Nigerian Air Force would do everything possible to forestall such occurrences in the future.
Recall that a NAF MI-171E Helicopter on casualty evacuation mission crashed in Niger State on 14 August 2023, killing the entire passengers and 4 NAF crew members on board. The decreased crew members included Flight Lieutenant Adamu Ibrahim, Flight Lieutenant Anthony Duryumus, Lance Corporal Alaribe Daniel and Lance Corporal Briggs Stephen Peter.
The statement adds that 2 NAF Regiment personnel, Corporal Jauro Amos and Lance Corporal Abdulrahman Abubakar, also lost their lives as part of the Nigerian Army personnel who were recently ambushed and killed by terrorists in Niger State.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
