The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, has met in Kaduna with air components commanders, instructor pilots and other pilots as well as the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Headquarters Nigerian Army on operations in the North West and North Central against banditry, cattle rustling and other crimes.
Abubakar, who inspected the Super Mushak and Diamond 40/42 operational aircraft, said the meeting was basically to access the level of support the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was giving in the current operations in the North West and some parts of North Central.
He said NAF had continued to support ground troops in concerted efforts to bring activities of bandits to an end.
“The meeting was also to identify areas of challenges to be addressed as part of measures for effective performance and what is needed to be done to ensure that farmers go back to their farms without any fear.
“The troops, under Operation Thunder Strike, Gama Aiki and Haderin Daji, are doing well and the briefings were basically to identify gaps to be bridged,” he said.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus, AM Abubakar also unveiled emergency ventilators produced by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).
Represented at the ceremony by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Remigius Ekeh, he said the devastating effect of COVID-19 required ingenious and proactive steps to protect lives and avert national tragedy.
