Politicisation of security is a major issue – Air Marshal Abubakar

Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar is the Chief of Air Staff, and he spoke to us on a variety of topics. Herewith, are excerpts:

Daily Trust: There has always been the point made that the military is overstretched across Nigeria. What is the NAF doing to even things out?

Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar: I agree with that position. There is a substantial presence of the military everywhere in some areas to support the Nigeria Police, in other areas to also deal with problems such as insurgency, terrorism and banditry. So, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is playing its constitutional role. Quite a number of personnel are participating in various operations at state levels, as the state governments have their own internal security and local operations.

Apart from conducting air operations, the NAF also has Special Forces operating in various theatres. We have about 300 of our Special Force personnel fighting beside other security agencies on ground in the North Central under Operation Whirl Stroke. Recently, we conducted air operations in Nasarawa axis. In Zamfara State as well, we have about 250 Special Forces fighting side-by-side with the Nigerian Army. Our aircraft are also deployed to support operations in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto states and many other parts of the country. But I think what is not too obvious to most people is that we have Special Forces elements also fighting on ground.

We have these Special Forces elements equally in Birnin Gwari, working very closely with the Nigerian Army to ensure that the area is secure. In fact, the whole idea of establishing the unit in Birnin Gwari is to make sure that we contribute to stopping what is happening along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road, and the general area. We also have Special Forces in Agatu, Benue State, and in Gembu, which is in Taraba State. There’s also a unit in Kerang, Plateau State. In terms of supporting what is going on all over, apart from the air element, we have a ground element which is equally very active.

DT: Speaking of the Special Forces, you recently rebranded the NAF’s as ‘The Panthers’, apart from the existing SF unit which comprises of people from various arms of the services. What’s your take?

Abubakar: There appears to be a lot of misunderstanding of what the Air Force Special Forces are meant for. Prior to 2015, we had the Regiment Specialty, which has been in existence since 1978, even before I joined the Air Force. But they were not given the training and the skills they required to be effective. For an Air Force to project air power, you must have the means of protecting air assets. For example, if you are deploying your fighter aircraft to Katsina or Sokoto, who protects the assets at the airport?

Recall that in December 2013, Boko Haram entered our base in Maiduguri and destroyed some helicopters. Why? Because at that time, we did not have the capability to really defend ourselves and fight on the ground because the basic military training given to most airmen on entry was not sufficient to equip them for such tasks.

Most times, we depended on the infantry of the Nigerian Army, which has been very supportive. Even now, we have quite a number of their elements on our bases. After that 2013 experience, we decided to give the required skills to the Regiment personnel so that they can effectively fight on ground to defend our bases.

DT: In the early days of the fight against insurgency, insufficient or outdated equipment has been pointed out as a major problem. Where does the military stand today regarding that?

Abubakar: I can’t speak on behalf of the entire military but I can tell you about the NAF. Yes, there were a lot of gaps and I also want to emphasize that there is no country in the world that has all it wants. Even at individual level, you do not have all that you want. You can only understand what you want and see what you really have and make the best use of what is available. So, I think for us in Nigeria, the Air Force particularly, there were a lot of gaps in the area of equipment holding, particularly aircraft holding, which is the main equipment we use. But I think the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much for us in the past five years.

DT: Many observers believe that the involvement of politicians constantly causes problems to security operations nationwide. What’s your take on this?

Abubakar: I do not want to say politicians per se, but I think the politicization of security is a major issue. Whether it is done by politicians or not, it poses a major problem. When you begin to politicize security issues, then you are putting the entire system into a serious problem. We have seen that quite a number of times where people go to the ridiculous extent of interpreting what is happening out there without understanding what is happening. They try to give political colouration to all these things. We must understand that this nation is the only one we have, and we must all work together for its betterment. All segments of society have a responsibility to ensure that the country is secure. Security is not just about bullets, bombs and rockets.

DT: You flew a helicopter recently. Do you miss doing that regularly?

Abubakar: I wish I could fly every day, but we need to allow the younger people to fly more. I get really excited when I see a young officer that has probably been in the Air Force for five to six years, getting up to 3,000 flying hours. I started flying in 1980 to 2011. Between that time, I had not flown more than 2,500 hours. Meanwhile, you have an officer today in the NAF who has been in the system for only five years and already has more than those 2,500 hours. That says a lot, and clearly shows that the system is improving.

I was a very active flyer. But if you have someone who is able to make only 2,500 hours in 31 years, and another young man who joined the Air Force about six years ago and already has more than that number of hours, it means that there are aircraft, fuel, instructor pilots as well as the required leadership to ensure that the officer is able to move. I think it is great that we are making such progress.