The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Olatokunbo Adesanya

  • NAF refurbishes disused fire trucks

    NAF refurbishes disused fire trucks

    The Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ) says it has made substantial progress in its efforts at refurbishing the disused fire trucks in its bases all over the country.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

    Adesanya explained that 17 out of the 24 fire trucks earmarked for refurbishment had been successfully repaired and handed over to the respective units.

    “The latest set of two refurbished fire trucks was handed over to 107 Air Maritime Group, Benin, on Oct. 5.

    “Most of the fire trucks being refurbished had been parked for over 20 years as ‘beyond economic repairs.

    “The refurbishment is being undertaken by a local firm utilising Nigerian Engineers and mostly locally sourced materials and spares.

    “With the refurbishment of the fire trucks, NAF is now able to more independently provide fire cover for aircraft operations at its bases, thereby enhancing operational safety,” he said.

    The director said as part of NAF’s corporate social responsibility, the service was now better positioned to provide complementary services with regards to fire fighting in the host communities.

    He explained further that the local firm had on Oct. 7 commenced the refurbishment of another set of two fire trucks at 041 Communications Depot, NAF Base, Shasha in Lagos State.

    “The leadership of NAF being mindful of the enormous cost of procuring new fire trucks and the scarce resources in the country, decided to explore the option of locally refurbishing the fire trucks,” Adesanya said.

    NAN

  • NAF destroys more Boko Haram’s structures in Sambisa

    NAF destroys more Boko Haram’s structures in Sambisa

    The Nigerian Air Force ( NAF ) says it has destroyed more structures in Borno used by Boko Haram insurgents as meeting points.

    This NAF announced this in a statement issued by Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Adesanya explained that on the fourth day of an ongoing intensive bombardment of the insurgents’ hideouts in the Sambisa General Area, the airforce conducted air interdiction on Boko Haram’s settlement in Njimia on Sept. 10.

    “NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms had previously confirmed that several structures used by the terrorists as meeting points were in the location.

    “The air interdiction was conducted by the Alpha Jet and F-7Ni aircraft, which took turns to attack the location with bombs.

    “Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment showed that the targeted insurgent’s structures were destroyed as a result of the attacks,” he said.

    The director said that the attacks were designed to further break the will and capability of the insurgents to regroup against the air force.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some buildings used by the insurgents in Borno, especially in the Sambisa General Area, had earlier been destroyed by the military in the newly launched operation.

  • Ochai, a national hero, says Air Force Chief

    Ochai, a national hero, says Air Force Chief

     

    Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has described late NAF instructor pilot, Group Capt. Adanu Ochai, who died in a plane crash in Kaduna, as a hero who contributed  immensely to the nation.

    Abubakar made the remark when he led senior officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased in Kaduna.

    A statement by the NAF Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, on Tuesday in Abuja, said the air chief pledged to support the family left behind by Ochai.

    Late Ochai was the sole pilot on board the NAF Air Beetle aircraft which crashed in Kaduna on Aug. 24.

    “During the visit, prayers were said for the family of late Ochai as well as for the repose of his soul.

    “While speaking with Mrs Ochai, the wife of the late instructor pilot, Abubakar said that late Ochai was a hero who died in the service of the nation while doing what he was passionate about.’’

    Abubakar added that the deceased was an excellent pilot who had trained several officers who knew nothing about flying to become reliable NAF pilots.

    According to him, the late instructor had greatly contributed to the development of NAF, the latest being the record graduation of pilots who completed primary flying training as cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.

    The chief of air staff assured the widow that NAF would never forget her husband’s enormous contributions and would cater for the welfare of the family he left behind.

  • NAF aircraft crashes in Kaduna, kills instructor

    NAF aircraft crashes in Kaduna, kills instructor

    A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Beetle on Thursday crashed in Kaduna State while on a mission, killing the pilot.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    According to Adesanya, the only soul on board the aircraft, one of NAF’s experienced instructor pilots, was unfortunately lost during the mishap.

    The director said that the cause of the incident had not been ascertained.

    Adesanya added that the Chief of Air Staff, (CAS) , Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has immediately directed the constitution of a board of inquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash.

    “The unfortunate incident is a tragic reminder of the hazards associated with the flying profession.

    “The CAS and the entire NAF family commiserate with the relatives of the late instructor pilot,” he said.

  • NAF establishes two new commands, branch, redeploys 58 senior officers

    NAF establishes two new commands, branch, redeploys 58 senior officers

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday said it had established two new Commands and a Branch for effective operations.

    The Service has also redeployed 58 senior officers.

    The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.

    According to Adesanya, the exercise is part of the restructuring efforts of the Service to enhance the effective and efficient projection of air power.

    He said the two new Commands are: the Air Training Command (ATC) with Headquarters in Kaduna State, and the Ground Training Command (GTC) with Headquarters in Enugu State.

    “These new commands were excised from the now defunct Training Command (TC), thereby bringing the total number of Commands in the NAF to six.

    “The ATC will be responsible for the implementation of policies on flying and air operations while the GTC will be responsible for the implementation of local ground training,” he said.

    Adesanya added that the newly-established Branch is known as Communications Branch, and was unbundled from the former Logistics and Communications Branch.

    This, he said, brought the number of NAF branches to 10.

    He said the new Branch would handle all the needs of NAF with regards to communications, electronics, radar maintenance, Information and Space Technology.

    “Sequel to this development, NAF has redeployed a total of 58 officers comprising 25 AVMs, 20 Air Commodores, five Group Capts. , one Wing Commander, four Sqn. Ldrs., two Flt.- Ltr. and one Flying Officer.

    “Those posted to Defence Headquarters are AVMs Wakili Ahmed, Defence Policy and Plans; Ibrahim Umaru, Director Safety and Manual; Benjamin Nweze, Director, Civil-Military Relations.

    “Eche Agwungwu, Director Space; Bernard Chiobi, Director of Operations and Onyemaechi Osahor, Director-General Defence Research Production Bureau.

    “Senior Officers posted within HQ NAF include: AVMs Nurudeen Balogun who is now Chief of Training and Operations; Muhammadu Muhammed, Chief of Policy and Plans; Charles Otegbade, Director of Plans,” he said.

    “Others are: Olusoji Awomodu, Director of Museum and Archives; Sani Ahmed, Director of Policy; Muhammad Abdul-Wahab, Air Secretary; Kingsley Lar, Chief of Standards and Evaluation; Napoleon Bali, Director of Training.

    “Christian Dii, Managing Director Aircraft Engineering and Technical Services Ltd; Abdulganiyu Olabisi, Chief of Aircraft Engineering; Charles Oghomwen, Chief of Communications, Cletus Udeagulu, Director Research and Development and Paul Dimfwina, Director of Evaluation,” Adesanya said.

    Similarly, the newly-appointed Air Officers Commanding, he said, are AVMs Samson Akpasa, Ground Training Command, Enugu; Saddiq Kaita, Special Operations Command, Bauchi; and Mohammed Idris, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi.

  • NAF helicopter hits Boko Haram bases

    NAF helicopter hits Boko Haram bases

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said on Tuesday that its newly acquired helicopter has destroyed Boko Haram operational bases in Borno State.

    A statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations at NAF, Air Commodore, Olatokunbo Adesanya, said the raid was part of the ongoing clearance operation in the Northeast.

    The statement said: “On May 21, 2017, the Nigerian Air Force Component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE conducted an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission in Parisu, Borno State.

    “During the ISR mission, a large structure with solar panels and flags suspected to harbour high value Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) was discovered, alongside other similar BHT structures hidden under trees.

    “Accordingly, on May 22, 2017, two attack helicopters; the Mi-17 and the newly inducted day and night, all weather gunship, Mi-35M Super Hind were scrambled to conduct strikes on the location in succession.

    “Subsequent battle damage assessment revealed that several structures in the target area were engulfed in fire as a result of the strikes and a few BHT survivors were seen scampering from the location.”