Military to Sustain Air, Ground Offensives against Terrorists, Bandits

•Air force to overhaul operations

The military high command, yesterday, disclosed that it would sustain air and ground operations against insurgents, armed bandits and other non-state actors across the country.

A former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima, had at a meeting on Monday with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, suggested that dialogue be employed as part of the strategy to contain banditry in the North-west.

Speaking at the weekly operations briefing held at the Strategic Operations Centre, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Abuja, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, said there was a compelling need for personnel to redouble their efforts towards ensuring that all forms of criminality were eradicated from the society. 

This comes as the Nigerian Air Force said it would undertake an overhaul of its entire operations in view of the need to readapt to the dynamic nature of the current operational environment.

Abubakar stated that, “Though there was the need to employ non-kinetic means of reaching out to those aggrieved, which does not fall within the purview of the military, air and ground operations must be sustained.”

He further disclosed that the overhaul of the operational environment became expedient in order to maximise the potentials of jointness as being exhibited by members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and other security agencies.

He however, noted that the need for attitudinal change by all NAF personnel was imperative if the gains of an overhaul of the entire operational environment were to be maximised.

“Without the right attitude by the officers and men of the NAF, any form of overhaul undertaken by the service will be a waste of time and resources,” he said.

Commending efforts of NAF personnel especially those at the various operational theatres for their commitment and dedication to ongoing counterterrorism operations, Abubakar reiterated the need for all to redouble their efforts towards ensuring that all forms of criminality were eradicated from the society. 

He also stated that under his watch, an all-inclusive leadership style would be emplaced where every personnel would be carried along, while also ensuring that welfare, infrastructure development and all operational needs were given due consideration.

A statement by NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, also addressed his command’s philosophy which he said would be coined out of the vision and mission of the AFN as encapsulated in the 2017 National Defence Policy document.