Air Chief Decries Misinformation, Hostile Narratives About Military Operations

* Says they undermine public confidence 

Linus Aleke in Abuja 

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has decried the menace of misinformation, disinformation and hostile narratives surrounding military operations, insisting that these digital vices undermine public confidence.

Air Marshal Aneke made the condemnation on Monday while declaring open the 2026 Directorate of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI) Annual Media Workshop and Meeting with information officers at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force, Abuja.

The CAS, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Yaro Abdullahi, said: “Today’s information environment is increasingly complex, dynamic and highly contested. News travels at unprecedented speed, while misinformation, disinformation and hostile narratives continue to challenge military operations and public confidence.

“In such an environment, effective public communication is no longer merely supportive; it is an operational necessity that contributes directly to mission success.

“As information officers, you represent the voice and image of the Nigerian Air Force. Your responsibilities extend beyond issuing press releases and organising media engagements. You are strategic communicators entrusted with shaping public understanding of our operations, projecting the professionalism of our personnel, preserving institutional credibility and strengthening public trust in the service. Every communication, every engagement and every response to a crisis must therefore reflect accuracy, professionalism, integrity and timeliness.”

The special guest of honour said the service must remain proactive in communicating its activities with credibility, transparency and strategic intent while confronting evolving security challenges.

“We must continually improve our ability to engage stakeholders, counter misinformation, manage crises effectively and reinforce public confidence in the service. Together, we can build a public relations and information system that reflects the professionalism, discipline and operational excellence for which the Nigerian Air Force is renowned,” he said.

In a paper titled ‘Building and Maintaining Strategic Media Relationships: Best Practices for NAF Public Relations and Information Officers’, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VOA), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, said the Nigerian Air Force operates in an increasingly complex security environment where narratives can be weapons and information vacuums can become strategic vulnerabilities.

“At the same time, credible communication can be a force multiplier: it strengthens public confidence, protects institutional reputation and supports the overall mission of the service,” he said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said military operations were no longer contested only on the battlefield but were also fiercely contested in the information environment.

He stressed that what people believe, see, hear and share can greatly influence the outcome of an operation, almost as significantly as what happens on the battlefield, adding: “This is why we consider strategic communication an operational capability.

“A photograph can inspire confidence. A video can demonstrate professionalism. A well-written report can correct a false narrative. But a single careless communication can undermine years of institutional credibility.”

The workshop was themed ‘Enhancing Strategic Media Operations of Nigerian Air Force Public Relations and Information Personnel Through Capacity Building in Crisis Management Skills.’