Buhari to commission two helicopter gunships to fight bandits, says CAS

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has said President Muhammadu Buhari will soon commission two helicopter gunships to boast its current operations against bandits in the northwest part of the country.

Sadique gave this assurance at the weekend while commissioning crew rooms and 30 block of accommodation for its personnel at headquarter of the Air Task Force in Maiduguri, Borno state.

He urged its personnel to increase their current tempo in the fighting against armed bandits and insurgency in both northwest and northeast operations.

“I am urging both airmen and women to keep working hard to support all ongoing operations, not only in the northeast but I am sure you aware that we are operating in the northwest as well; we are going to continue working hard to make sure all Nigerians are safe to go about their lawful businesses.

“We are looking forward to acquire additional platform; in fact, President Muhammadu Buhari is going to induct two helicopter gunships that will be deployed to northwest to support our operations to make our farmers have freedom to move in and out of their farms, to ensure that people are not killed,” he said.

The Air Force chief, however, said he was impressed with the security operations so far and lauded the troops and other security agencies for making the country safe from criminal activities.

“We are going to sustain the operations by MJTF and Operation Lafiya Dole. I have been adequately briefed by the Commander of Air Task Force; we are doing everything humanly possible to see that our communities are secured. We are working closely with other security agencies especially ground troops; with the brief I received, I think I am comfortable.

“It is about fighting; it is to ensure that personnel that are fighting are well taken care of and that is why we built the technical crew rooms which we have commissioned. Also, we have equally commissioned 30 units of accommodation for our airmen and women that have been posted here so I am impressed with the progress we have made,” Sadque said.