The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, met with families and victims of the accidental air strikes that took place on January 24, 2023, near Rukubi in Doma local government area of Nasarawa state.

AVM Edward Gabkwet, the Director, of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, NAF, according to News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, said the meeting in Lafia on Jan. 26, the CAS expressed regrets over the incident.

He explained that the incident reports showed that innocent civilians might have erroneously been killed or injured in the process.

According to the Chief of Air Staff, the unfortunate incident was not deliberate but was targeting suspected terrorists and cattle rustlers given the heightened level of insecurity in the area at the time.

The primary responsibility of the NAF, according to Abubakar, remained to safeguard the lives and properties of all Nigerians, saying that NAF would not deliberately engage in acts that would put the lives of Nigerians at risk.

The Chief of Air Staff informed the families and victims that the interface reflects NAF’s commitment to conflict resolution and reconciliation and a step towards addressing grievances, fostering understanding as well as rebuilding trust between NAF and the civilian population.