Hot SourceLinus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday stated that it had completed an intensive five-day Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM) in Air Operations course for the first batch of specially selected officers.
The Service stated that this reaffirms its strong commitment to safeguarding civilians in conflict zones.
A statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information, headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the programme brought together a cross-section of NAF personnel, including pilots, unmanned aerial vehicle operators, armament specialists, legal officers, and public relations experts, underscoring the belief that protecting civilians requires a coordinated, multi-disciplinary approach.
He noted that the training, which was hosted by the Air Warfare and Doctrine Centre (AWDC), Abuja, represents another decisive step in embedding civilian protection as a core pillar of NAF’s operational doctrine.
“Directed by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, and coordinated through the Civil-Military Relations branch, the programme reflects the Service’s unwavering resolve to ensure that precision, legality, and humanity remain at the heart of every mission.
“The CHM course, scheduled to run in three batches of about 30 officers each from August 11 to September 5, 2025, is delivered in partnership with Conflict, Security and Development Consult Limited,” Ejodame said.
“During the training sessions for the first batch, officers underwent a rigorous curriculum covering International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the context of Nigerian air operations, precision selection of ordnance to minimise collateral damage, the application of Rules of Engagement, Positive Target Identification Methods, targeting categorisation, the No-Strike List (NSL), and the Sensitive Target Approval and Review (STAR) process. Practical modules also addressed advanced protocols for engaging sensitive targets under operational pressure,” he said.
Air Marshal Abubakar described the initiative as a natural extension of the NAF’s Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP), inaugurated earlier in the year.
The post NAF Trains Officers to Mitigate Killing of Civilians during Air Operations appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.
