The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar was in Port Harcourt earlier today to commiserate with the families of the deceased crew members of the ill-fated MI-171E Helicopter that crashed in Niger State on 14 August 2023. 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 NAF would, however, never abandon the families but would always stand by them till the end. "The NAF will always stand with you and support you till the end", he said. 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. He also assured that the sacrifices of these fallen heroes would not be in vain and that the 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 include Flight Lieutenant Adamu Ibrahim, Flight Lieutenant Anthony Duryumus, Lance Corporal Alaribe Daniel and Lance Corporal Briggs Stephen Peter. It is important to also mention 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.