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Tag: Air Force

Okorocha donates 200-bed hospital to Air Force

•NAF establishes 211 Regiment Group

The Governor of Imo state Owelle Rochas Okorocha has donated a 200 bed hospital with modern equipment to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The hospital formerly called Owerri North Specialist Hospital was one of the infrastructure development projects of the state government before it was handed over to the NAF.

The governor spoke in Owerri when the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar paid him a visit at government house during the ground breaking ceremony for the establishment of the NAF 211 Regiment Group along airport road Owerri.

Governor Okorocha who thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the approval of the establishment of the Regiment Group said the state has been neglected by the federal government for many years adding that the establishment of the Air Force base will provide ample security for the newly established International Cargo Airport in the state.

Okorocha: “ I want to thank the President for the coming of the Air Force Base in this state, it shows that the President has remembered Imo state which has been abandoned by previous federal administrations. I also want to thank the Chief of the Air Staff for the speed the project has taken off and assure that every support needed will be provided by the state government to make this dream come through.

“ The coming of the NAF Regiment Group will complement what other sister security organisations have been doing in the state and it will also complement the International Cargo Airport which is due to be operational in May 2017.

“ We are also donating a 200-bed hospital formerly Owerri North Specialist Hospital, complete with modern equipment and gadgets to the Nigerian Air Force to manage, but I will urge the Chief of the Air Staff to consider the employing local indigenes to work in the hospital.”

The CAS said the coming of the 211 Regiment Group was established to add value and enhance the security of Imo state. He said the Regiment is a highly skilled quick and response group which is trained in all manner of modern warfare and rescue operations.

“We are here to add value to Imo state, the Unit we are bringing is a highly skilled quick response group, highly trained and able to move in to rescue any situation. For those who are involved in kidnapping, this is the time to change your ways or we will be very decisive with any case of kidnapping,” he said.

The Air Chief also said the NAF is ready to move in very fast and build the Air Force base saying provision for the establishment of the base has been made in the 2017 budget and the NAF will begin construction as soon as the budget is passed.

He said the NAF will also establish a secondary school which will also be available for the indigenes of the area adding that free medical outreaches will be part of their benefits to the communities around the base.

The Governor and his guest later visited the Hospital in Owerri north local government before laying the foundation of the 211 Regiment Group in Ngor- Okpala community. After visiting the hospital, the CAS described it as “amazing.”

Abubakar: “ It is amazing what we have here, I don’t have the words to express our appreciation to the government of Imo state, our Chief of Medical Services will be here tomorrow to take stock and I have instructed they change the name of the hospital to NAF Hospital immediately.”

March 2, 2017
Shot Air Force chopper resumes flight

The Nigerian Air Force helicopter shot by Boko Haram insurgents over Gwoza last week has returned to action.
NAF’s Chief of Training and Operations, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Iya told The Nation in Maiduguri that the aircraft has been fixed and the personnel who was slightly injured has recovered.

February 19, 2017
Air Force extends medical outreach to IDPs in Southwest

THE Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun a two-day medical outreach for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Southwest.
Over 300 IDPs at the Festac, Satellite Town and Ajah camps in Lagos State were given medical screening and treatments by officers from NAF Medical Services at the United Nations Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs in Ikoyi.
The inauguration of the programme, withn the theme: We Care, We Share, was attended by the Federal Commissioner, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq; Acting Ambassador of Trinidad and Tobago in Nigeria, Garth Lamsee and NAF’s Director of Humanitarian Services, Air Commodore Harold Onyechi.
Hajiya Farouq hailed the Chief of the Air Staff , Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and the Chief of Medical Services, Air Vice Marshal S. M. Shinkafi, for taking the lead in providing medical care for IDPs across Nigeria.
She said: “The NAF is not only living up to its constitutional responsibility of securing our land, airspace and overall territorial integrity, but also engaging in humanitarian assistance to our persons of concern.
“Plans are in earnest to ensure that the IDPs are resettled as soon as possible in their home communities. There are also plans to equip them with self-reliant skills so that those of them who may not wish to be voluntarily relocated to their states, when it is time, would have a viable means of livelihood.”
According to her, the commission was conversant with the current spate of internal displacement in the Northeast and the attendant issues being faced by these persons of concern in health, shelter, food, education, among others.
Hajiya Farouq went on: “It is therefore one of the major policy drives of this government, to not only ensure that all persons of concern are properly catered for, but also proffer durable solutions, which encompasses resettlement and return of IDPs to their previous places of abode.
“This medical intervention is an important activity in a series being carried out in collaboration with NAF and is expected to be a continuous exercise, involving more IDPs in this zone.”
Some of the services rendered to the IDPs include eye test, dental clinic, ante-natal, general outpatient services, laboratory services and outpatient pharmacy.
Lamsee, who donated some consumables to the IDPs on behalf of his country he feels a moral responsibility to stand in solidarity with the IDPs in recognition of their horrific humanitarian crisis.
He assured them that they would endure, survive and eventually rise from their current state.
Appreciating NAF’s gesture, some of the IDPs who said they fled Michika in Adamawa State in 2014, stated that they have since taken to begging to survive.
To Lekshi David, a 30-year-old mother of three, she usually earned between N50 and N100 daily from begging, which she uses to support her family.
She said: “I have not seen my husband since 2014 that we ran from Michika. My home and shop were burnt down and I was pregnant then. I fled with my other baby and stated staying in Festac. Since then I have been begging. I have not seen my husband since then. Most times, people would give me food and sometimes I make N50 or N100.
“So, with that kind of money, I cannot afford to go to the hospital or take any of my children there. That is why I am happy that the NAF remembered us with this their programme.”
Another beneficiary, Sarah Simon, who said she would love to return home, however expressed concerns that Boko Haram terrorists were still attacking neighbouring communities.

February 8, 2017
Air Force fights cancer

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has conducted a cancer awareness campaign and free screening to mark the opening of its brand new cancer screening centre at the 461 NAF Hospital, Kaduna. Assistant Editor SEUN AKIOYE reports

Those expecting the usual military-style programme at the ceremony to open the Cancer Screening Centre at the 461 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Hospital Kaduna were disappointed. Instead of marches and parades, there were doctors and specialists who came to deepen the knowledge of the NAF personnel about cancer.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar since assuming office seems to be in a hurry to deliver on his mandate of “re-positioning the NAF as a professional force” which includes training and provision of infrastructure all over NAF bases.

One of such was the Cancer Screening Centre and Registry which was commissioned on December 19, 2016 and domiciled at the 461 NAF Hospital Kaduna. The establishment of the centre, which was the first of its kind was to “provide a modern facility with the capability for early detection of the most common cancers affecting our personnel and other people in the local community,” said the Chief of Medical Services, Air Vice Marshal Saley Shinkafi.

Although the 461 Hospital is the first cancer screening centre, there has been expansion, upgrade and provision of modern, high technology equipment to all of the NAF’s 33 health care facilities and recruitment of specialist manpower to manage them.

The maiden cancer awareness programme which was tagged: “Kick Cancer out of NAF Bases”, according to the Air Chief would be replicated in all NAF bases across the country. The CAS said the health of an individual is one of the most essential pre-requisites for the individual to survive and carry out his duties effectively.

He also noted that: “The cost to the Service could be unimaginable if we neglect the health of our personnel and their families,” while expressing the hope that the cancer screening centres would provide the personnel and the host communities of the NAF bases the opportunity to carry out regular checks in order to detect cancers early enough and prevent late diagnosis.

A cancer conundrum

Three experts joined the NAF medical personnel in discussing the cancer challenge and the ways to prevent the untimely deaths usually associated with the disease. Dr. Monday Yilkudi, a consultant surgeon at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagalada and breast cancer specialist said cancer is an abnormal body cell which “keeps dividing and not under the control of the body.”

Yilkudi said the cause of breast cancer which is one of the most common forms of cancer has not been determined even though there are risk factors that may contribute to its emergence including’ gender, family history, race, early menstruation etc.

There are other lifestyle factors including low physical activity, alcohol consumption, obesity which may contribute to its risk factor. However, early detection which can be accomplished either by screening and or detection by constant physical examination by women is essential to beating the disease.

For Dr. Sam Ojah, senior consultant and gynecologist with the Ministry of Defence, cancer of the cervix may be the second most common form of cancer, it is however the most deadly with over 270,000 deaths and over 500,000 cases every year.

The cancer which is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmittable disease affects mainly women and early detection is the only way to survive the cancer. However, a third consultant, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed, a consultant at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men but it advances with age.

“Prostate cancer is a disease of men and it is the 6th leading cause of cancer death in the world. It is very rare before the age of 45 and like the other forms of cancer, we do not know the cause,” he said. But there is good news, only one out of 38 people diagnosed with the disease will die of it.

One of the remedies of prostate cancer is also an unusual and unwilling treatment by most men; “As long as men have testicles, they are at risk of prostate cancer so if a man wants to diagnose prostate cancer early, then they should remove the testicles early,” Mohammed said.

This unusual remedy drew laughter from the participants but the doctor was not done yet, one of the unproven remedies is frequent ejaculation to the tune of 20 times a month. This proposition though unproven scientifically drew loud applause from the mainly male audience while the women looked on in disbelief.

After the lecture, a town hall meeting between the experts, NAF medical personnel led by AVM Shinkafi and officers and men of the NAF Training Command, Kaduna took place. Many of the women wanted to reconcile preventing Cervical cancer through abstinence from sex and helping their husbands prevent prostate cancer through frequent ejaculation. However, Dr. Ojah insisted sexual transmission of cervical cancer is a risk factor when multiple sexual partners are involved.

The Air Officer Commanding, Training Command, Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal Christopher Okoye said the CAS has spent millions of naira on the cancer screening centre and it must be utilized by the personnel. “ The Chief has spent so much to put this together, you must make use of it, the facility is not only for the personnel and their families, but for everyone in Kaduna,” Okoye said.

Chief of Medical Services, AVM Shinkafi said there are plans to open the cancer centre in all the 33 health care facilities of the NAF in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Air Force has tried to improve our facilities because cancer is becoming a prominent health concern in Nigeria. The Chief of Air Staff felt no area of health care should be left unattended to so we have started addressing the issues of cancer.”

January 31, 2017
Air Force honours victims of 1992 Ejigbo crash

Twenty-five years after over 100 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel died in a plane crash at Ejigbo Lagos, the service has honoured the pilots and engineer of the ill-fated C-130 aircraft.
It named the newly constructed two blocks of six by three bedrooms for married officers after them- Wing Commanders Pere Alabosun, Ali Mamadi and Squadron Leader JA Adeiza.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, who inaugurated the buildings at the headquarters, Logistics Command in Lagos, said the officers embarked on a mission to save lives that morning but paid the ultimate price.
He also described as the accidental bombing of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Rann, Borno State as unfortunate, noting it occurred while the personnel were on a mission to protect the very IDPs.
He said: “These structures were constructed to address the inadequacy of houses in the base and in various units across the country.
“We are also embarking on massive renovation/upgrading of existing quarters that were hitherto dilapidated to improve their conditions.
“The projects commissioned are named after our colleagues who fell in the line of duty.
“They died during the C-130 air crash at Ejigbo on September 26, 1992. We have ensured that the welfare of the families of fallen personnel are catered for.
“We provide accommodation for their families and those who died in service, their families get bulk pension of five years.
“The NAF has contributed greatly to the restoration of peace, security, humanitarian efforts and well-being of Nigerians.
“We have performed credibly well in all the ongoing operations we are engaged in.
“These were achieved through effective projection of air power in various operations to soften the ground for the surface forces.”
“Although remarkable successes were achieved, the incident of January 17 in the northeast is highly regrettable and unfortunate.
On the Rann accidental bombing, Abubakar said: “The days between the incident and now have been the most painful for us.
“However, we take solace in the fact that it was in a bid to secure this same victims that this sad incident occurred.
“We are reviewing our processes to unravel how this sad incident could have occurred and to prevent future occurrences.
“I urge you not to be discouraged by thus unfortunate incident but we will continue to strive harder to secure our communities and add value to our societies.”
The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Yahaya described the buildings as another milestone project for the NAF personnel in Lagos.
He said: “This would go a long way in ameliorating the shortage of officers’ residential quarters in Lagos area.
“Improving the personnel’s living condition has not only raised their morale but has also modelled them into a highly professional and disciplined troop for effective, efficient and timely employment in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives.”

January 22, 2017
Air Force flies Ezekwesili, others to Sambisa forest

Troops discover bodies of Boko Haram fighters

Two Air Force Beechcraft planes yesterday flew military officers, government officials and leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaigners on a surveillance of the Sambisa forest – the former stronghold of the terrorist group Boko Haram.
Aboard were BBOG members former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwezili, coordinator Aisha Yesufu and Dr. Manasseh Allen.
On the flight were Minister of Defence Brig.-Gen. Dan Alli (retd.) Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Information Minister Lai Mohammed …
BBOG leaders made the trip after declining to do so and giving the government conditions which were rejected.
On Sunday night, the BBOG wrote to Mohammed on its decision to join the surveillance.
The contingent was flown to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, from Abuja on an air transport plane Hercules C-130 before the surveillance flight.
They returned from the trip at about 6pm. Another team, comprising of journalists, were on night surveillance.
Also yesterday, troops discovered a mass grave where insurgents who escaped with injuries during a battle with soldiers, but later died, were buried.
To Gen. Alli, the capture of Camp Zairo in Sambisa forest is “end of Mission” and not the end of the campaign against Boko Haram.
The minister spoke in Yola at the Command Centre of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during a briefing for members of the BBOG team.
The BBOG group had been invited by Mohammed on an operational visit to Sambisa forest to have a first- hand view of how the military had been fighting the war on insurgency and the efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.
The minister was responding to questions from Ms. Ezekwezili on why the military was still conducting operations in Sambisa when it claimed to have captured it.
“Camp Zairo is the spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram. It doesn’t mean when you capture that all of them will disappear, but it is significant because it was thought that the place was impregnable.
”Capturing Camp Zairo is the end of the mission to capture the place; we are not saying the campaign is over but we have dominated Camp Zairo.” the Minister said.
Leading the briefing, the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal, Nurudeen Balogun, said NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over Sambisa forest revealed women and children trying to flee Boko Haram.
Also at the briefing was the Chief of the Air Staff.
“We have intensified our ISR to ensure displaced Boko Haram members do not regroup. Since January 1 to 15, 2017, we have flown a number of sorties and there have been some sightings of abductees,” Balogun said.
He recalled that on January 7, some women and children were seen fleeing from a Boko Haram hideout near Dure village, Njimia, Tumbun Rego, Arege, Dogon Chuku and Yuwe villages.
“On January 8th, our Mi-17 aircraft picked up eight women and 11 children from a location close to Dure village. The women were taken to Maiduguri airbase and thereafter to the air force hospital for medical check-up.”
CAS Sadique Abubakar said the rescue of the Chibok girls and other abductees is one of the major aims of the NAF. He said the NAF has procured four aircraft dedicated to ISR and is working on the fifth one.
“Until 2015, we had only one aircraft doing ISR, but now we have four and about to fit one of the most sophisticated cameras into the fifth.
“We want you to know that we are careful not to bomb people who have no business fighting us. If we are fighting Boko Haram because they are killing people, we can’t go on and do the same. There are times when the pilots would return to base with their bombs because they sighted women and children.
“I am glad you are here, you will go on board with us and see how much our personnel have put in this. Sometimes they leave by midnight and don’t come back until 4:am just looking for all abductees and the Chibok girls,” Air Marshal Abubakar said.

January 17, 2017
Remembering the Polycarps and martyrs of Nigerian Air Force

“It is the cause, and not the death, that makes martyrs” – Napoleon (1769-1821)

Those acquainted with church history would have heard or read about Polycarp of Smyrna, in Asia Minor. A Greek by origin, Polycarp was accounted to be a disciple of John the Apostle and ally to others who had seen the Lord. Given his apostolic affinity, Polycarp was said to be an ardent believer of the gospel, having lived in harmony with the scriptures. He later became the Bishop of the church in Smyrna (in modern Izmir in Turkey) during the church formative stage, and at a time that its persecution was rife. As a church leader, Polycarp opposed many of the Roman traditions such as idol worshipping, and heretics of the Christian faith, hence he was denounced to the government, arrested, and tried on account of his faith. Failing to renounce his faith, Polycarp was sentenced to death by burning. Because his captors were not done with him, history has it that Polycarp was also stabbed even as his body roasts to the great beyond. Today, it is told of Polycarp, on account of his death, that he became the first martyr of the post-new testament era in Smyrna. Polycarp, till date, is admired as a significant church leader and his death celebrated every February 23 especially by the Eastern Orthodox Christians.

To borrow the words of Napoleon (1769-1821), what makes one a martyr is not the death but the cause. The Cambridge, and Oxford Advanced Leaner’s, Dictionary, defines ‘martyr’ as someone who suffers much or is killed because of his/her religious or political beliefs, and is often admired because of it. While, historically, martyrs appear to be synonymous with religious faithful, today it is no longer an expression that is restricted to the religious parlance. The word, in actual sense, can be used to describe a wide range of people from all walks of life including the military. The distinctive attributes of a martyr, which include personal denial, selfless sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to a noble cause, even in the face of danger or death, are all found in the profession of arms. So, like Polycarp, there are many martyrs among the men and women of our Armed Forces, whose demise and unquantifiable contributions to our nation building are worth celebrating. Each year, the Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) provides such opportunity to remember these gallant men and women who, as members of our Armed Forces, died serving our fatherland. For us in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), today’s remembrance celebration reechoes the sweet memories of our fallen heroes in blue uniforms who, at the expense of their lives, have paid the huge cost of preserving our sovereignty as a nation as well as the freedom and security of the rest of us.

The NAF, in recent past, has lost a number of gallant officers and men to the counter insurgency and counter terrorist operation in the North East, as well as to other internal security operations across the country. The very first NAF casualty of the Boko Haram insurgency was Sergeant Umar Abubakar slaughtered by the insurgents on 25 July 2013 in Maiduguri. This heart wrecking incident was followed by the death of Flight Lieutenant Akweke Junior Nwakile who died in a helicopter crash on 21 July 2014 while on a training mission south of Bama, Borno State. The missing Alpha Jet (NAF/466), involving Group Captain Abdulrasheed Bamidele Braimoh and Wing Commander Chinda Hedima, is also a case to remember on this special occasion. The aircraft went down on 12 September 2014 at Kauri while undertaking an air interdiction mission against the Boko Haram Terrorists. Whereas the death of Wing Commander Hedima has been confirmed by own soldier who witnessed his killing by the terrorists, the fate of his co-pilot, Group Captain Braimoh, is yet uncertain for now as nothing definite points to his demise. While earnestly pray and hope for his return, the air of uncertainty about his whereabouts necessitated the current stance by the NAF that he is still missing in action.

The NAF again recorded the unfortunate loss of Group Captain Ubong Akpan and Master Warrant Officer Hosea Zabesan in another helicopter crash on 13 November 2014. The duo had embarked on an operational flight against the insurgents but went down near Yola, Adamawa State. The painful death of Flying Officer Duke Toryem on 21 May 2015 is another case to remember. The young officer was on patrol when his vehicle stepped on landmine planted by the Boko Haram Terrorists. Furthermore, one cannot but appreciate the role of Flight Lieutenant Ebitimi Owei in the collective effort to restore peace to the North East. Late Owei, an F-7Ni pilot, crashed due to bad weather in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State while returning to base after successfully undertaking an interdiction mission against the insurgents on 28 August 2015. The victims of the ill-fated Dornier 228 aircraft that crashed in Kaduna is another death too many to remember at a time like this. The crew, along with passengers onboard, had gone down in the line of duty on 28 August 2015 while on flight from Kaduna to Abuja. These heroes include Squadron Leader Adekunle Suara, Flying Officer Kehinde Olaniran, Warrant Officer Akpan Etim and ACW Naomi Abegunde.

While we can only pray as colleagues that God will grant repose to the souls of these departed great Nigerians, it is hoped that their deaths will not be in vain as fellow Nigerians continue to appreciate their sacrifice while the government remains committed to cater for the welfare needs of the families they left behind. In this regard, it is gratifying to note that the NAF is doing a lot to immortalize its fallen heroes. The NAF, under the leadership of Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of the Air Staff, has undertaken a number of developmental projects, some of which are named after the fallen heroes. The NAF has also continued to provide befitting houses to the families to live in, in addition to prompt and timely payment of full benefits. The NAF, of recent, has also introduced skill acquisition programmes for widows and orphans of deceased personnel in order to empower them for self-reliance. These gestures are no doubt commendable as they are pointers to the fact that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is much more that wreath laying or mere ceremony to offer respect to the departed. While, in addition, it reminds us of our collective responsibility towards the families of those who have paid the supreme price in their service to our nation, and it is indeed another avenue for boosting the morale of those still serving.

* Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa is the Director of Public Relations & Information for the Nigerian Air Force

January 15, 2017
How Air Force aided anti-terror operations

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken a stock of its activities in 2016. The appraisal followed the degrading of the Boko Haram Terrorist group and the eventual capture of its headquarters in Sambisa Forest, Borno State. Assistant Editor Seun Akioye reports the air power that aided the capture of the insurgents’ Camp Zero stronghold.

More than a month ago, soldiers deployed in the battle against insurgents in the Northeast under the auspices of umbrella LAFIYA DOLE launched an operation codenamed: “Rescue Finale”. The onslaught, launched on November 1, 2016 was the culmination of months of preparation for the final raid of the dreaded Sambisa Forest, the stronghold and headquarters of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. The aim was not only to dislodge the militants, thereby bringing to an end insurgency that has raged Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, for about six years. It was to rescue all abducted Nigerians, including the Chibok schoolgirls, believed to being held in the ‘evil’ forest.
Months before the final push, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had launch a two-pronged operation – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and target bombing of Sambisa Forest, all aimed at softening the ground for the ground troops to advance into the forest and carry out the land raid.
The ISR was a critical and deliberate operation by the NAF to ensure a safe passage for the soldiers into Sambisa in order to route the militants and end Boko Haram impunity.
The NAF was engaged in Counter-Insurgency Operations (COIN) on many fronts last year. Such operations included: OP LAFIYA DOLE in the Northeast to dislodge Boko Haram insurgency, OP SAFE HAVEN to quell ethnic crisis in Jos, OP SHARAN DAJI to counter the menace of cattle rustling and armed banditry in the Northwest, OP AWATSE to curb pipeline vandalism in the Southwest and OP DELTA SAFE to prevent destruction of oil installations in the Niger Delta.
According to the Director of Operations (DOO), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Dayo Amao, the strategic role of the NAF in the operations was to force generation and ensuring combat readiness towards supporting surface forces.
Directing the various missions from its bases at 103 STG Yola, 115 SOG PH, 403 FTS Kaduna and 451 NAF Stn Jos, the NAF employed a number of its air assets, including the Alpha Jet, F-7Ni and the CH3A UCAV. Others are the Super Puma, Agusta 109 LUH/E, ATR-42MPA and the Beechcraft King Air 350i. The Mi-17 and Mi-35M/Mi-24P helicopter gunships, C 130 H, DO 228 and the DA-42 MPP also played prominent roles in the operations.

The attack on Sambisa Forest

One of the biggest military operations in Nigeria since the end of the civil war was Operation LAFIYA DOLE (Peace by Force), aimed at countering Boko Haram insurgency. The operation included both the ground and air components. The air component was planned and executed by the Tactical Air Command of the NAF, commanded by Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nurudeen Balogun and the Air Component Headquarters operated from the 105 Composite group in Maiduguri with Air Commodore Charles Ohwo at the helms.
For the air component in Operation LAFIYA DOLE, it was a period of intensive air operations and subsidiary operations. These operations include OP CRACK DOWN, OP GAMA AIKI, OP FOREST STORM and OP RESCUE FINALE.
The OP FOREST STORM, which took place from October 2-8, 2016, was critical to the war and the eventual takeover of Sambisa Forest. The NAF conducted independent offensive air raids at neutralising Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) targets in the Sambisa general area with a view to further degrading their capabilities.
The operation was also targeted at shaping the Sambisa environment to a level that would facilitate the rescue of the “Chibok Girls” by ground troops. A total 82 sorties in 116:30 hours was flown.
AVM Balogun said: “This air operation was successful as it resulted in displacing the BHTs from the Sambisa forest. It also significantly curtailed the freedom of action of the terrorist as well as degrading their capacity to effectively engage own troops.”
Other specific operations carried out by the NAF included: Air interdiction missions conducted by the F-7Ni, A-jet and the Mi17/24/35 helicopters to neutralise BHT logistics, camps, foot soldiers and facilities on a daily basis. The operation neutralised Boko Haram foot soldiers in Kadara community. Two Alpha Jet aircraft also conducted an air interdiction on about 30 insurgents suspected to be angling to attack troops’ position. The interdiction was to degrade the terrorists.
There was also the Close Air Support (CAS), which turned the tide of the counter-terrorism war in favour of ground troops, using the F-7Ni, A-Jet and Mi-24/35 helicopters.
On December 22, last year, a CAS mission facilitated the successful capture of Camp Zero where Boko Haram flag and holy books were retrieved. Similarly, one Alph-Jet conducted CAS to support the advance of troops at Sambisa Gate.
Armed Recce/Armed Escort was also extensively conducted to locate and engage opportunity targets. The F-7Ni, A-Jet and the Mi-17/24/35 helicopter conducting a total of 635 sorties led to the destruction of Boko Haram hideouts and prevention of ambush of troops.
The ISR was critical to the intelligence gathering of the war on insurgency. Using the Be-350KA, ATR-42 MPA, DA-42 and the CH-3A UCAV aircraft to maintained presence over the theatre to obtain critical footages of activities of Boko Haram, it became the game changers in the COIN, leading to precise attacks on insurgent locations both day and night.
According to AVM Balogun, over 689 ISR sorties were undertaken in 2016.
The NAF also conducted evacuation of troops including Wounded in Action (WIA) personnel and provided critical logistics and supply missions deep inside the forest. In 2016, 1,494 personnel were airlifted and 122,055kg of logistics was resupplied in the theatre of operation contributing immensely to the effectiveness of ground troops.
One of the enduring missions conducted in October was the successful rescue of 21 of the 276 girls abducted from their dormitory in Government Secondary School in Chibok on April 14, 2014. It was a two-day operation comprising of six missions flown in 13 sorties using the Alpha Jet, Be-350 KA, Super Puma, AW101 and A109 LUH.
“The mission presented some tactical challenges with respect to the lack of lighting in the operational area as well as the confined area designated as landing zone. Notwithstanding all these challenges, the air component was able to effectively plan and coordinate the operation to a successful outcome,” AVM Amao said.
The NAF also offered significant humanitarian assistance to various Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps with over 20,000 IDPs in Adamawa provided with free medical treatment. At the IDPs Camp in Bama, 4,761 of the displaced persons were provided free medical treatment and about 28,051 of the IDPs in Dalori were also provided medication in addition to the provision of shelters, boreholes, foodstuff and clothing.

Rescuing Arepo from oil vandals

Arepo, Isawo, Ikorodu and Majidun communities in Lagos and Ogun states knew no respite from pipeline vandals and hoodlums, who terrorised the residents, raped, kidnapped and killed residents at will. But the launch of Operation AWATSE rescued the communities from the throes of the vandals:
Operation AWATSE began in 2010 in partnership with the Army and Nigerian Navy but Air Force operations began with an air recce of the area and air strike began on July 28 and concluded on August 16, last year, leading to a significant degrading of the hoodlums and bringing respite for the residents.

Battle against cattle rustling

The launch of Operation SHARAN DAJI was NAF’s response to itinerant herdsmen-turns criminals. The operation was initiated in July 2015 to tackle the upsurge of armed bandits, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and other criminal activities around the Northwest. But last year, the governments of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto and Zamfara states requested the intervention of the NAF to provide air support to counter the security challenges. From July, the NAF deployed six platforms at various times for the operations which include: DA 42 MPP, essentially ISR, CAS for surface forces, air liaison, troops insertion/extraction and medical evacuation missions.
According to the NAF, Operation SHARAN DAJI significantly degraded the capability of the armed bandits as their precise locations acquired during the ISR missions enabled the ground troops to locate and destroyed the bandits. But it was not a walkover for the NAF, the bandits fought back and fired at the NAF planes with at least one A109 LUH helicopter sustaining serious damage in Gidan Garba.

Protecting national infrastructure

The NAF responded with the introduction of Operation Delta Safe to the destruction of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta by militants.
The activities of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) members in the Niger Delta informed the establishment of a Joint Task Force code-named Delta Safe which replaced Operation Pulo Shield with a mandate to protect oil and gas infrastructure and to prevent/deter other forms of economic sabotage caused by militants, sea pirates and other criminal elements within its Joint Operations Area (JOA) which covers an estimated landmass of 47,942 sq. km.
Some of the activities of the NAF in Delta Safe include: air interdiction which aimed at destroying militant’s camps, using the A-Jet and Mi-24 helicopter with a total of four sorties and three hours 40 minutes flight.
The CAS was conducted for advancing land, maritime and Special Forces at the request of the HQ OP DELTA SAFE to flush out the militants from their location. Aggressive armed patrols were a major mission against illegal oil bunkering destroying 16 illegal refineries and 58 illegal oil barges.
Other missions are ISR patrol which shaped the battle space providing guidance for surface troops and Light Air Liaison (LAL), involving the movement of top commanders and guests within the operating area.
The NAF described the destruction of notorious Camp Benji on November 24, 2016, as a milestone in restoring sanity to the restive region and improving economic activities.

Enhancing operational effectiveness of NAF platforms

The NAF, last year, restructured its engineering unit with the weaponisation and upgrade of its various platforms and machines by its engineering team. Three Alpha Jets were upgraded in-house with weapons system and deployed in active combat operations in the northeast with high degree of performance.
The engineering team also upgraded the Mi-17 helicopter with weapons system while the installation of camera on Beechcraft ac NAF 202 and NAF 204, and upgrade of camera on NAF 201, were also conducted.
In line with the vision of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to reposition the NAF into effective and professional force, the NAF conducted several trainings and provided basic infrastructure in housing and education to the NAF personnel. At least, 1,020 personnel were trained overseas and 4,868 locally, while 268 units of accommodation was provided
A total of 24 boreholes were sunk in 14 locations and 14 kilometres of roads were constructed in NAF bases in Kaduna and Abuja. There was also the provision and expansion of operational facilities, such as hangars, aprons and taxiways in 531Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Lagos, 131 Engr Group, Makurdi, 103 Strike Group Yola, 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna and VIP Lounge at NAF Forward Operations Base, Daura, Katsina.
The NAF also established the Air Force Girls Comprehensive School, Abuja and established a fifth Command/ Special Operations Command in Bauchi.

Looking ahead

To the NAF, the way forward is to build on its past experiences. It said it would improve on its efficiency in this year. AVM Balogun told The Nation that last year underscored “the need for a more effective intelligence gathering capability as well as night capability and precision guided munitions, good communication network and availability of aircraft critical spares.”
According to him, better synergy and understanding between the NAF and the surface forces will be achieved as more Forward Operation Bases would be established and reactivated.
His words: “The overall objective is to improve capabilities, methodology and refine processes with a view to ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the application of airpower. The induction of the more modern, night capable and sophisticated Mi-35M helicopter would enhance the NAF capability for standoff, day and night operations.
“The reactivation of additional ATR-42MPA and the UCAV CH-3A will boost the NAF ISR and strike capability. For effective air patrol of the wide expanse of Nigeria’s borders, especially in the Northeast, plans have been concluded to establish more FOBs as staging posts to provide technical support and increase the radius of action of NAF air assets.”

January 10, 2017
‘Operation Delta Safe’: Air Force’s battle against oil theft

The incessant activities of cottage refineries and oil theft in the Niger Delta region remains a source of concern to the nation with its attendant consequences on the economy, environmental pollution and the dire implication of promoting general insecurity.

Successive governments have made attempts to address the situation through the establishment of different military Joint Task Force, and granting of amnesty to the restive youths.

Aside the militants blowing up of the pipelines and other oil facilities, the illicit trade of illegal refineries and oil theft is becoming alarming with the nation losing an average of 400,000 barrels of crude daily to pirates in the Gulf of Guinea and other domestic saboteurs.

In a bid to rid the region of these criminal activities, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has embarked on series of air raids on illegal refineries and oil barges uncovered in parts of the Niger Delta creeks.

Though operating under the umbrella of the Joint Task Force codenamed “Operation Delta Safe”, the NAF has conducted air combat operations to destroy equipment used for these criminal activities through constant and precise military engagement of illegal refineries, oil barges and canoes laden with stolen products or being used for such purpose.

The illegal oil barges in particular are identified to be critical logistics equipment used by the criminals for the purpose of transporting the stolen products and as such the NAF adopts tactical measures of locating and destroying them after careful surveillance and intelligence missions. The rationale of the air raid is hinge on the need to checkmating these nefarious activities by destruction of their logistics holdings while also deterring potential criminals from investing in the unlawful business.

In obedience to the rules of engagement and outright display of professionalism, the NAF air attack focus mainly on the assets used for these transactions as the legitimate targets. It was gathered that the perpetrators on sighting the NAF aircrafts, usually takes to their heel while leaving behind their refineries, barges and canoes as the targets that suffer the colossal damage.

The ongoing aggressive air campaign came to limelight in early September 2016 when the NAF combat aircraft destroyed illegal refineries and barges filled with petroleum products around Bille Community in Rivers State.

A similar operation was also carried out with remarkable success two days after in the same location. This followed with the destruction of illegal refineries and barges along east of Isaa town, Borikiri, Old Bakana as well as Bakana community a couple of days after.

Other air raids saw the setting ablaze of some set of barges and canoes conveying stolen products around Okoromabie and South East of Port Harcourt refinery. In the course of the same operation, another set of illegal barges were uncovered at Onne in which individuals around it fled on sighting the NAF armed patrol aircraft.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS ), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar during the third quarterly route march of the NAF in Abuja said that the Air Force was going to shift attention to the Niger Delta and launch a new operation to checkmate the criminal activities.

The 115 Special Operation Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt is the arrow head of the air component of Operation Delta Safe with the statutory roles of air combat support as well as undertaking aerial surveillance mission to provide the needed intelligence for the surface forces operations.

In the wake of renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta, the NAF in June 2016 deployed additional aircraft to the Southsouth to strengthen the ‘Operation Delta Safe’. The additional platform comprises fighter aircraft, helicopter gunship and surveillance aircraft. Odili sent this piece from Abuja

January 6, 2017
Operation Delta Safe: NAF’s battle against oil theft

By Christel Odili
The incessant activities of cottage refineries and oil theft in the Niger Delta region remains a source of concern to the nation with its attendant consequences on the economy, environmental pollution and the dire implication of promoting general insecurity.

Successive governments have made attempts to address the situation through the establishment of different military Joint Task Force, and granting of amnesty to the restive youths. Notwithstanding the various interventions, the upsurge in level of illegal refineries and oil theft in recent times clearly portrayed that much success has not be
achieved in stamping out the menace.

Aside the militants blowing up of the pipelines and other oil facilities, the illicit trade of illegal refineries and oil theft is becoming alarming with the nation losing an average of 400,000 barrels of crude daily to pirates in the Gulf of Guinea and other domestic saboteurs.

In a bid to rid the region of these criminal activities, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has embarked on series of air raids on illegal refineries and oil barges uncovered in parts of the Niger Delta creeks.

Though operating under the umbrella of the Joint Task Force codenamed “Operation Delta Safe”, the NAF has conducted air combat operations to destroy equipment used for these criminal activities through constant and precise military engagement of illegal refineries, oil barges and canoes laden with stolen products or being used for such purpose.

The illegal oil barges, in particular, are identified to be critical logistics equipment used by the criminals for the purpose of transporting the stolen products and as such the NAF adopts tactical measures of locating and destroying them after careful surveillance and intelligence missions. The rationale of the air raid is hinged on the need to checkmating these nefarious activities by the destruction of their logistics holdings while also deterring potential criminals from investing in the unlawful business.

In obedience to the rules of engagement and outright display of professionalism, the NAF air attack focuses mainly on the assets used for these transactions as the legitimate targets. It was gathered that the perpetrators on sighting NAF aircrafts usually takes to their heel while leaving behind their refineries, barges and canoes as the
targets that suffer the colossal damage.

The ongoing aggressive air campaign came to limelight in early September 2016 when the NAF combat aircraft destroyed illegal refineries and barges filled with petroleum products around Bille Community in Rivers State.

A similar operation was also carried out with remarkable success two days after in the same location. This followed with the destruction of illegal refineries and barges along east of Isaa town, Borikiri, Old Bakana as well as Bakana community a couple of days after.

Other air raids saw the setting ablaze of some set of barges and canoes conveying stolen products around Okoromabie and South East of Port Harcourt refinery. In the course of the same operation, another set of illegal barges were uncovered at Onne in which individuals around it fled on sighting the NAF armed patrol aircraft.

Though the barges and canoes did not explode when fired at, indicating that the drums were empty. While on armed patrol on 10 November 2016 around Kidney Island and Alakiri town, the combat crew discovered a set of two barges laden with stolen product and destroyed them on the spot. The ongoing air operations continue day and night unabated as it was creating inconvenience environment for these illegalities to thrive.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS ), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar during the third quarterly route march of the NAF in Abuja said that the Air Force is going to shift attention to the Niger Delta region and launch a new operation to checkmate the criminal activities. The ongoing air raid is a huge attestation to the fulfilment of the proclamation by
the CAS.On a recent trip to Port Harcourt to assess the operational status of

On a recent trip to Port Harcourt to assess the operational status of the Unit and Welfare of the personnel who are participating in the ongoing operation, Air Marshal Abubakar disclosed that the welfare of the personnel is paramount in order to boost their morale and enhanced the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the NAF operation.

The CAS used the occasion to commission newly provided accommodation facilities which include a block of 18 units of 2-bedroom flats for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, a remodelled block of 10 Units of one-bedroom apartments for Non-commissioned Officers and assembly ground newly provided for the Air Force Secondary School, Port Harcourt.

The 115 Special Operation Group (SOG) in Port Harcourt is the arrow head of the air component of Operation Delta Safe with the statutory roles of air combat support as well as undertaking aerial surveillance mission to provide the needed intelligence for the surface forces operations.

It would be recalled that in the wake of renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta, the NAF in June 2016 deployed additional aircraft to the South South region to strengthen the Operation Delta Safe. The additional platform comprises fighter aircraft, helicopter gunship and surveillance aircraft.

January 2, 2017