NAF Sustains Pressure on Terrorists, Bandits With Enhanced Airpower
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its airpower campaign against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities across the North-West, strengthening its air presence in Sokoto State to support ongoing joint security operations.
The move is aimed at sustaining pressure on terrorists and bandits, enhancing aerial surveillance and ensuring rapid response to emerging threats, while providing effective air support to ground troops operating within the Joint Operations Area.
The strengthened air presence is considered critical to countering asymmetric threats, particularly as terrorists and bandits continue to exploit difficult terrain, mobility and concealment to evade ground forces.
Through the effective deployment of airpower, the NAF is seeking to leverage speed, reach, flexibility and precision to locate, disrupt and degrade hostile elements, deny them freedom of movement and create opportunities for surface forces to consolidate operational gains.
Speaking on the development, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said the Service would continue to optimise the employment of airpower to deliver decisive effects in support of joint operations.
He stressed that the evolving security environment requires timely intelligence, responsive airpower and seamless coordination with surface forces, adding that the NAF remains focused on maintaining operational readiness and preventing hostile elements from threatening 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 stated.
The initiative aligns with the CAS’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 to achieve national security objectives.
It also reinforces the NAF’s focus on intelligence-led operations, innovation, operational readiness and joint-force integration in addressing contemporary security challenges.
The Air Force said it would continue working closely with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to protect lives and property, disrupt terrorist and criminal networks, safeguard communities and support efforts to restore peace and stability across the North-West.
The NAF also urged members of the public to support ongoing security operations by providing timely and credible information to the appropriate authorities.
