NAF - We Will Stop Boko-Haram From Re-organizing Anywhere in Nigeria

The chief of air staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has disclosed that the Nigerian Air Force will sustain aerial surveillance in the North East to stop Boko Haram terrorists from regrouping.

Abubakar stated this yesterday at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja while speaking on the activities and achievements of NAF in 2016.

The air force chief revealed that the focus of the Force in 2017 is to ensure that Boko Haram insurgents do not reorganise anywhere in Nigeria after they were chased out of Sambisa Forest, to ensure that they will not have the capacity to constitute any form of threat to troops and to communities.

He said the Force will do more in 2017 in terms of ensuring the safety of Nigerians and maintained that NAF personnel will sustain the present level of operations, with support from government.

CAS said troops on operations had been operating within the rules of engagement, adding that they adhere strictly to international laws as applicable.

He said the NAF had changed the training curricular for recruits, inculcating the respect for human rights.

Abubakar said the Force had, in 2016, expanded from four commands to five, as four commands were no longer adequate for the force.

He also revealed that NAF would recruit 5,000 non-commissioned officers  in 2017.

Earlier in his presentation, chief of administration, Air Vice Marshal

Lawal Alao had listed NAF’s multiple operations in 2016 to include ‘Operation Safe Haven’, ‘Operation Awatse’, ‘Operation Delta Safe’, ‘Operation Sharan Daji and ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.

He said the bombing attacks and terror activities of Boko Haram in the North East, cattle rustlings/bandit activities in the North West and militant activities/oil vandalism in the South-South and South-West of the country warranted the deployment of Nigerian Armed Forces to the affected regions to restore peace and security.

Alao also stated that in 2016, 62 per cent of Intelligence missions were conducted, not only to determine the location of abducted Nigerians but to also provide battle field situational awareness for the land forces.