The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has denied claims in a news report that its officers were involved in the planning of a purported coup d’état to take over the reins of government.

“The NAF considers it most ridiculous that anyone in his/her right senses, especially in the Twenty First Century, could still be fixated on the possibility of effecting a change in government in Nigeria in any way other than through the ballot box,” Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force said while denying the claims in a statement on Thursday.

The NAF spokesman also recalled that the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar had on 18 May 2017, while commissioning new residential accommodation for personnel at NAF Base, Bill Clinton Drive Abuja, emphatically pledged the loyalty of the NAF to the President and Commander-in-Chief as well as to the Nigerian Constitution.

According to him, the earlier stance of the NAF on the unfortunate coup rumours has not changed.

“The NAF is a highly professional and apolitical Service that is focused on ensuring the territorial integrity of Nigeria as well as facilitating a safe and secure environment for Nigerians to prosper while conducting their legal businesses.

NAF added that it demonstrated its strong belief in democratic during the recent Gambian crisis when it ensured that the will of the people was not subverted by promptly deploying its fighter aircraft, in addition to its transport aircraft to airlift needed troops and logistics, in readiness to preserve the country’s democracy, in line with the Federal Government’s directives.

“It is therefore inconceivable that the same NAF would be involved in any way in any attempt to dismantle the political structure in Nigeria.

“It appears some individuals with unknown intentions are bent on further spreading the malicious misinformation and hence, the need for the NAF to react.

“The Chief of the Air Staff would like to assure Nigerians as a whole of the unalloyed loyalty of all NAF personnel to the President and Commander-in-Chief as well as to the Government of Nigeria as democratically constituted.

“We therefore appeal to those peddling these false stories to cease, as they are constituting  sources of distraction to NAF personnel, who are sacrificing on a daily basis to ensure the security of Nigeria,” NAF added in the statement.