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Molly Kilete
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says that it has deployed one of its fighter jets to Sokoto State to curb the activities of bandits responsible for a killing spree of innocent people in the state.
To ensure that the bandits are wiped out in the shortest possible time, the NAF has also deployed a detachment of Special Forces personnel and equipment to the northwestern state.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who made this known in a statement, said the deployment is to assist the efforts of security forces already on ground to deal with the spate of insecurity in some parts of Sokoto State and the areas bordering Zamfara.
Daramola in the statement said:
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) today, 19 January 2019, deployed a fighter aircraft, along with support equipment, and a detachment of Special Forces (SF) personnel to Sokoto to further boost anti-banditry operations in the Northwest of the Country under Operation DIRAN MIKIYA. The deployment is aimed at adding value to the efforts to deal with the spate of insecurity in some parts of Sokoto State and the border areas between Zamfara and Sokoto States.
“Receiving the air assets, pilots and SF personnel, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command (AOC TAC), Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, charged them to exhibit the highest sense of professionalism as they go about their task of securing communities whilst ensuring they deal decisive blows on the armed bandits. Also present to receive the personnel and equipment were the Commander Air Task Force Operation DIRAN MIKIYA, Air Commodore Ayoola Jolasinmi, and the Commander 119 Forward Operating Base (119 FOB), Air Commodore Jibrin Usman.
“It may be recalled that, following an assessment visit to NAF units in Katsina, Zamafara and Sokoto States on 26 December 2018, the CAS had stated that facilities at the Sultan Abubakar III Airport would be upgraded to facilitate the deployment of NAF platforms and equipment to enable the conduct air operations from the Airport, for enhanced NAF response capability in support of the anti-banditry operations in the area.”
