By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has urged Nigerians to place greater trust in its official communications, insisting that every statement issued by the Service is factual, credible and can withstand public scrutiny.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, made the appeal while receiving the executive members of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) during a courtesy visit to the Directorate of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Abuja.
Ejodame said the Air Force remains committed to truthfulness, accuracy and transparency in all its public communications despite growing public scepticism toward official information.
According to him, misinformation and fake news, particularly on social media, have made it increasingly difficult for many Nigerians to trust verified information released by government institutions.
He recalled a personal experience involving his father, who once questioned the authenticity of an official NAF statement.
”There are times when people simply do not believe what we say, and that can be quite painful. I remember joking with my father during a conversation about one of our official statements. He told a friend, ‘That is just what they asked my son to say.’ I had to ask him, ‘Even you don’t believe me?’ Yet I was telling the truth,” Ejodame said.
The Air Force spokesman stressed that the incident strengthened his determination to ensure that every statement issued by the Directorate remains factual and verifiable.
”Since I became Director of Public Relations and Information, I cannot remember issuing any statement that was not truthful. Everything we release is something we can confidently defend today or even twenty years from now. We stand by the accuracy of our communications,” he added.
He urged Nigerians to disregard rumours and unverified reports circulating on social media and instead rely on official information released by the Nigerian Air Force.
Ejodame also praised defence correspondents for demonstrating professionalism by verifying sensitive information before publication.
”There have been occasions when you received information but chose to withhold publication until we confirmed the facts. Rather than rush to publish unverified reports, you exercised restraint. That means a great deal, not only to the Nigerian Air Force but also to the nation,” he said.
He warned that the spread of false or misleading information could inadvertently aid terrorist and criminal groups by creating unnecessary fear and confusion among citizens.
The Air Commodore therefore urged journalists and members of the public to verify information before sharing it, noting that responsible communication is vital to national security.
Earlier, President of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria, Mr. Odita Sunday, congratulated Ejodame on his appointment and commended the Nigerian Air Force for its role in combating terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other security threats across the country.
Sunday reaffirmed DECAN’s commitment to ethical, fair and responsible journalism and called for stronger collaboration with the Air Force through regular media briefings, improved access to information, operational engagements where appropriate and capacity-building programmes for defence correspondents.
He also disclosed that the association was concluding arrangements for the launch of The Defence Correspondent Journal and expressed optimism that the Nigerian Air Force would support the initiative.
Both the Nigerian Air Force and the defence correspondents reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation to promote credible information, improve public understanding of military operations and support national security efforts.
Believe NAF, Ignore Rumours, Air Force Spokesman Urges Nigerians
