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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its air campaign against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements across the North-West, with increased air operations in Sokoto State to support ongoing joint security operations.
The move, according to the NAF, is aimed at sustaining pressure on hostile elements, enhancing aerial surveillance and ensuring rapid response to emerging threats, while providing effective air support to ground troops operating within the Joint Operations Area.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the strengthened air presence was particularly important in tackling asymmetric threats, where terrorists and bandits exploit difficult terrain, mobility and concealment to evade ground forces.
Ejodame said the reach, speed, flexibility and precision of airpower would enable the NAF to locate, disrupt and degrade hostile elements, restrict their freedom of movement and create greater opportunities for surface forces to consolidate their gains on the ground.
He said the initiative also underscored the importance of sustained coordination between air and ground forces in confronting the evolving security challenges across the region.
Speaking on the development, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said the NAF would continue to optimise the employment of airpower to deliver decisive effects in support of ongoing joint operations.
Aneke stressed that the changing security environment required a combination of timely intelligence, responsive airpower and seamless integration with surface forces.
He said the Service remained focused on maintaining operational readiness and ensuring that terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements were denied the freedom to threaten innocent communities.
“Our objective is clear: to sustain the pressure on criminal elements, deny them freedom of action and create the conditions for our surface forces to dominate the operational environment.
“We will continue to employ airpower intelligently, professionally and decisively, in synergy with our sister Services and other security agencies, while maintaining the highest regard for the safety of civilians,” the CAS said.
The initiative is in line with the Chief of the Air Staff’s command philosophy of building and sustaining a highly motivated, professional and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower effects in synergy with surface forces towards achieving national security objectives.
It also reinforces the NAF’s emphasis on intelligence-led operations, innovation, operational readiness and joint-force integration as key components of contemporary air operations.
The Air Force said it remained committed to supporting national efforts to restore peace and stability across the North-West, adding that it would continue to work closely with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to protect lives and property, disrupt terrorist and criminal networks and safeguard vulnerable communities.
The NAF urged members of the public to support ongoing security operations by providing timely and credible information to the appropriate authorities.
