Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force said it has provided free medical services for 30,000 victims affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the north east part of the country.
Also, the Air Force says it has rescued and airlifted another batch of hostages held by the terrorists at Sambisa forest.
The rescued persons among them the aged, women and children, were airlifted to the 105 Composite Group, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, by the NAF Agusta 109 helicopter the NAF Base in Maiduguri.
They were immediately attended to by NAF’s medical team, which was on standby and provided them with medical treatment prior to the process of integrating them into the larger society.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshall Adetokunbo Adesanya, made this known in a statement, said the free medical services was part of NAF’s campaign strategy to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of the locals.
Adesanya, in the statement made available to Daily Sun said, “Following concerted efforts by air and ground elements against Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) in the Sambisa Forest, which led to the capture of Camp Zairo, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has airlifted rescued hostages who had been in the captivity of the BHTs. “The rescued hostages, including the aged, women as well as children, were airlifted to the 105 Composite Group, Maiduguri by the NAF Agusta 109 helicopter.
“At the NAF Base in Maiduguri, the NAF Medical Team, which was on standby, conducted preliminary medical checks on the rescued hostages and also provided them with medical treatment prior to the process of integrating them into the larger society. “Furthermore, the rescued hostages, who were all looking tired and malnourished after the period of captivity, were fed by the NAF.
“The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has directed that those with serious medical cases be immediately placed on admission to ensure they were adequately cared for.
“This is in furtherance of the NAF’s resolute efforts at winning the ‘hearts and minds’ of the locals, as part of an overall campaign strategy.
“It would be recalled that the NAF, under its current leadership, has been rendering humanitarian services to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East and other parts of the country as part of its corporate social responsibility. So far, over 300, 000 IDPs have benefited from NAF’s medical outreach programmes, which spread across the entire country.”
The statement maintained that the NAF would continue to airlift the rescued hostages and provide them with the needed initial succour.