Operation Awatse: Air Force advices the residents around Arepo not to panic

The Nigerian Military on the 28th of July, commenced the
aerial bombardment of Fatola, the hideout of militants and pipeline
vandals in the Arepo area of Ogun State and successfuly displaced
suspected militants and vandals. 
In a statement released yesterday (August 3), NAF has
urged members of the public living around the area of ongoing air
operations at AREPO and its environs, not to panic and to go about their
legitimate businesses. The statement read,

The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been
drawn to media report on apprehension and panic by members of the public
living around the area of ongoing air operations at AREPO and its
environs. Thus, it has become necessary to allay the fear of the people
with a view to sustaining public confidence and support for the ongoing
operations against pipeline-vandals codenamed OPERATION AWATSE in the
South West region of the Country. Therefore, the NAF wishes to assure
the general public, within the affected areas, of their safety as the
ongoing air operation is carefully planned to avoid collateral damage to
the civil populace and property.
The NAF is careful to ensure that only legitimate targets,
such as observation post, anti-aircraft gun position, boats laden with
suspected stolen petroleum products and armed combatants, are selected
for strike. In aligning with this global best practice, the NAF usually
undertakes surveillance flights before and after each strike to mitigate
incidental harm to civilians and property. While pre-strike assessment
missions are undertaken to help identify and select legitimate military
targets for neutralisation, post-strike or Battle Damage Assessment
missions are meant to ascertain whether the desired degree of impact was
achieved or not, and if a follow-up re-attack is required.
It may also be necessary to state that NAF pilots are
adequately trained, and as professionals, would not engage in human
right violations and abuses. The successes recorded in the past 5 days
since the NAF commenced strike mission in AREPO, in support of surface
forces under OPERATION AWATSE, attest to this display of absolute
professionalism by NAF pilots involved in the operation as no single
incident of collateral damage has been recorded.
Meanwhile, it is necessary to add that the NAF, working in
collaboration with men of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Services (SBS),
has set on fire the hideouts and camps used by the pipeline vandals in
AREPO. As a result, Community leaders and members of the public with
useful information on the whereabouts of the fleeing vandals and other
criminal elements are please requested to oblige such information to the
Security Agencies. Furthermore, the civil populace is please advised
not to panic but to go about their legitimate businesses.

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