Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has charged troops of Operation Whirl Punch and Operation Bada Mamaki to eliminate all criminal elements and restore peace in the country.
Amao gave the charge at the CAS Christmas Lunch with Air Component frontline troops of Operation Whirl Punch and Operation Bada Mamaki, held at the NAF 401 Flying Training School, on Sunday, in Kaduna.
Represented by Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, AVM Nnamdi Ananaba,
Amao said: “We must sustain the tempo of our operations and continue to fight gallantly until all insurgents, bandits and all other criminal elements are completely eliminated, and peace restored to all troubled parts of our dear country.
“We must continue to operate synergistically with our sister services and other security agencies, whilst leveraging each other’s capabilities to secure the country. This is our professional duty.”
He said the Christmas launch was an opportunity to not only bond with the frontline troops, but, also, promote comradeship within the service.
“It affords us the opportunity to spend time with you, knowing that you should ordinarily be spending this period with your loved ones, but have sacrificed the time to remain in the theatre to ensure that our country remains secure.
“The security threats currently facing our dear nation and the challenges they present to the attainment of our national developmental goals require the emplacement of a robust security architecture, which, of course, will include the ability to rapidly employ airpower within the full spectrum of warfare.
“The paradigm shift in the way air warfare is waged, necessitates a highly versatile air force capable of executing a wide range of airpower roles across multiple theatres of operation to deal with these security threats,” he said.
The CAS said he was glad that NAF, operating in synergy with sister services and other security agencies, has continued to courageously confront the threats, while recording tangible results in the various theatres.
“I must say that I am proud of the efforts of all our officers, airmen and airwomen participating in internal security operations in different parts of the country. My pride comes from the positive reports that are getting to my desk of your courageous exploits and successes,” he told the troops.
Amao said in the North Central theatre particularly, the NAF, through the air component Operation Whirl Punch, has continued to perform very critical roles in providing the much-needed air support for the smooth conduct of ground operations by the land component.
He said the air support has been immensely instrumental in curtailing activities of terrorists and other enemies of the state, denying them freedom of action and providing respite for Nigerians who have been on the receiving end of the excesses of criminals.
He commended all personnel of the operation for their commitment and contributions towards ensuring that peace and stability are restored to all parts of the North Central.
“Please do not relent in your dedication and hard work towards ensuring that peace returns to our land. I assure you that your efforts and sacrifices in this regard, both individually and collectively, are highly appreciated by the nation.