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Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force(NAF), said it has commissioned a Helipad at Katari Village in Kachia Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State to boost its anti-banditry operations in the North West and North Central parts of the country.
The helipad along with its refueling facilities, the NAF said was constructed in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, to give the helicopter platforms operating along Abuja-Kaduna Highway and environs added endurance for efficient mission accomplishment.
NAF director public relations and information Air Comodore Ibikunle Daramola, who made this known in a statement, said the helipad would see to the timely employment of Air Power and air mobility of forces for swift response.
In his address at the commissioning, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said the Helipad was considered a necessary requirement for extending the NAF’s reach to enhance its Air Power projection in the North West and North Central Zones.
Represented by the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command (AOC ATC), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Musa Muktar, Abubakar, said the helipad would add impetus to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ)-led joint Operation THUNDER STRIKE and afford greater flexibility for all agencies involved, as the helicopters would no longer need to return to either Abuja or Kaduna before refueling.
He said the location of the landing facility was also carefully selected to complement the efforts of troops’ deployment thereby intensifying the provision of security to the locals and motorists.
The NAF Chief while noting that activities of kidnappers and bandits along Abuja-Kaduna Highway had reduced significantly since the establishment of the Operation THUNDER STRIKE, said with the establishment of the Helipad, the NAF is now better positioned to effectively deal with kidnappers and armed robbers along the Kaduna-Abuja and other criminality within Kaduna State and its environs, working in synergy with sister Services and other security agencies.
He further stated that the NAF’s air offensives in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger States, amongst others, had continued to add value to the current efforts at addressing insecurity issues in the North West and North Central Zones of the Country.
Also speaking, the Command Operations Officer ATC, Air Commodore Nnaemeka Ilo, said the new Helipad, whilst serving as a base for Sector 2 of Operation THUNDER STRIKE, would boost the efforts in tackling insecurity in the area.
According to him, the collective efforts of the Air and Ground Components of Operation THUNDER STRIKE, facilitated by the provision of timely intelligence from the public, had yielded tangible results thereby enabling safe passage of motorists along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway.
He said “Since the inception of this Operation, our troops have succeeded in frustrating the efforts of the criminal elements. We are now adopting a new strategy of taking the fight to their various camps and not waiting for them to come to the main road before striking.”
Earlier in his address, the Chairman Kachia LGA, Honourable Peter Agite, who commended the NAFin its efforts at fighting insecurity, said the Helipad would go a long way to address security challenges along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kachia road and other parts of Kaduna State. He called on members of the affected communities to cooperate with the NAF and other security agencies by providing useful and timely information to curb criminal activities in the area.
