Air Force chief charges troops to drastically reduce bandits’ power to attack

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has charged frontline troops to deal with bandits.

He said the troops should not give the criminals breathing space.

He also urged them to continue to work in synergy with sister Services and other security agencies to ensure that the capacity of the bandits to carry out attacks on innocent citizens are drastically reduced.

CAS stated this when he visited 213 Forward Operation Base (213 FOB), Katsina on Sunday, to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr with the frontline troops of Operation Hadarin Daji.

A statement by Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force said the visit by CAS was:

“In keeping with the tradition of celebrating festive period with frontline troops to boost their morale and foster comradeship.”

The CAS was represented by the Air Officer Commanding, Special Operations Command (AOC SOC), Air Vice Marshal Charles Ohwo.

“It has become imperative that we do not give these miscreants any breathing space and as well reduce their capacity to carry out attacks on innocent citizens.

“It is in furtherance of this that we have deployed more platforms and 60 Special Forces (SF) personnel to support the Operation in the Northwest,” he said.

READ ALSO: Military kills 135 bandits in Katsina, Zamfara air raids

Air Marshal Abubakar remarked that wining and dinning with troops in mission areas was particularly dear to him.

He said, “This has become a tradition since my assumption of office as it serves as an avenue to foster comradeship as well as ease the tension the operational environment creates, whilst reassuring you of our commitment to continuously cater for your welfare and provide the much-needed support to prosecute your missions.”

He noted that, in the last four and half years, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had taken giant strides by inducting new platforms and reactivating grounded ones.

Speaking further, he said that the the service has also trained many pilots, engineers, technicians as well as Regiment and SF personnel.

The training, he said, is in line with his vision to build the capacity of the service to enable it effectively and efficiently tackle current and emerging security challenges.

Noting that a lot was at stake in the war against banditry and kidnapping, the CAS said:

“We must not allow ourselves to be taken unawares. I therefore enjoin all NAF personnel to remain displined and not to relent in their efforts towards the safety and security of our citizens.”

The CAS during the visit also enjoined the troops to take responsibility in the fight against COVID-19.

He charged them to always wear face masks and to maintain physical/social distancing in public gatherings and strictly adhere to the guidelines and protocols as issued by the Federal Government and Headquarters NAF, including regular washing of hands with soap and use of hand sanitizers.

The CAS, according to the statement, had earlier feted NAF troops deployed to Gusau in Zamfara State, Agatu in Benue State, Lafia in Nasarawa State and Gembu in Taraba State.

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