Civilian Casualties: NAF Unveils Harm Mitigation, Response Action Plan

Magdalene Ukuedojor
May, Tue, 2025

Defence/Security

Civilian Casualties: NAF unveils harm mitigation, response action plan

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has unveiled civilian harm mitigation and response action plans to reduce collateral damage among civilians during air operations.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, unveiled the document on Tuesday during the NAF Day 2025 Seminar marking its 61st anniversary on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the seminar is, “Optimising Civil-Military Relations in a Joint Operational Environment for Enhanced Air Operations”.

Abubakar said NAF has conducted more than 80,000 sorties in the past decade with only few verified incidences of collateral damage.

“Since 2015, the Nigerian Air Force has flown over 8,000 sorties annually—amounting to more than 80,000 sorties over the past decade.

“Yet, within this extensive operational record, only a few verified incidents of collateral damages have been recorded.

“This represents an occurrence rate of less than 0.005 per cent, an exceptional record by global standards, particularly within the complexities of asymmetric warfare.

“It is a powerful reflection of our professionalism, precision, and steadfast commitment to protecting civilian lives in even the most challenging operational environments.

“While we take pride in this impressive record, we are by no means complacent.

“We are very much aware that insurgents often deliberately embed themselves within civilian populations to evade detection, thereby creating unfortunate situations where collateral damage could occur despite our best efforts at precision and restraint,” he said.

The CAS said that in the few instances where civilian casualties were reported, NAF had promptly conducted investigations, accepted responsibility with deep regret, and taken necessary corrective actions to prevent future occurrences.

According to him, the service has proactively invested in advanced technologies and robust protocols aimed at preventing civilian casualties.

Abubakar added that NAF deployed enhanced real-time surveillance platforms, as well as enforcement of stringent mission-abort procedures upon detection of civilian presence as part of measures taken to address it.

According to him, there has been continuous training of personnel in International Humanitarian Law and the Law of Armed Conflict as well as Rules of Engagement.

He added that the service has instituted robust accountability mechanisms and recently upgraded the Directorate of Civil-Military Relations to Branch status.

“This institutional reform provides greater capacity and strategic focus on non-kinetic operations, ensuring that our engagements are anchored in transparency, compassion, and national interest.

“I am also glad to announce that in the course of today’s event, we will be unveiling a landmark policy document titled, the Nigerian Air Force Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan.

“The document is the first of its kind in the Armed Forces of Nigeria and is designed to guide our efforts in reducing the scale and impact of harm to civilians during air operations,” he added.

The air chief said that national security was a shared responsibility of all patriotic citizens and institutions, adding that synergy between military and civilian stakeholders remains central to achieving collective aspirations for a secure and prosperous Nigeria.

According to him, NAF has remained firmly apolitical and deeply committed to upholding democratic ideals, including the rule of law, accountability, and respect for fundamental human rights.

He said that the unwavering allegiance to constitutional governance reflected their enduring dedication to protecting the sovereignty and unity of the nation in accordance with their constitutional mandate. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Yakubu Uba

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