Nigerian Air Force To Fight Against Boko Haram,more combat aircraft deployed

 

Nigerian Air Force To Fight Against Boko Haram,more combat aircraft deployed

The Nigerian Air Force has deployed additional combat platforms to North East Nigeria in support of the ongoing counter-insurgency operation codenamed ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’.
Dele Alonge, an Air Commodore,the Air Force, spokesperson,on thursday said that the new deployment came on the heel of the recent visit of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar to the operational areas.

According to Mr. Alonge,the newly deployed platforms includes:

The F-7Ni fighter aircraft,
Mi-24/35 attack helicopters,
Agusta 109 LUH,
Supa Puma Combat Support helicopter and
ATR-42 surveillance aircraft,
which hitherto had been away for scheduled maintenance. 

Mr. Alonge said that the reason of President Mohammadu Buhari’s mandate to provide all these additional platforms in the North-East is to end the insurgency in the North-East,”.

The aim at the new deployment is boosting existing military efforts to defeat the Boko Haram Terrorists.it also to show the  capability of the Nigerian Armed Forces to fight in a more proactive and efficient manner.”

On thursday President Muhammadu Buhari charged heads of the Nigerian military to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents within three months.

A call was  made by the president in Abuja after the new service chiefs has been decorated in with their new ranks.

The decorated service chiefs are:
General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin ,
Chief of Defence Staff;
Lt-General T.Y. Buratai,
Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,
Chief of Air Staff – were appointed on July 13 and confirmed by the Senate on August 4.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was joined by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, charged the new military chiefs to brace up to the challenge of the insurgency.

Apart from asking the soldiers to resolving the insurgency in three months, the president also charged them to ensure that armed banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality are phased out within this period.

The president said that the activities of these misguided groups and individuals have resulted in wanton destruction of lives and properties of our citizens as a disruption of socio-economic lives of millions of Nigerians,needs to brace up and continue to team up with other stakeholders to come up with a well coordinated joint effort which will bring a desired end to these insurgencies within three months”.

Mr President urged he military chiefs to be accountable for both the men and equipment placed under their command, in the course of carrying out their assignment.

He furether urged them that the troops welfare must be uppermost in your mind, take care of them and make available what is due to them, ” he said, promising that his administration would provide all the resources the soldiers need to succeed.