The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has said the Nigerian Air Force is expecting the supply of more aircraft purchased by the Federal Government to boost the fight against insurgents in the North East.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Yola, Adamawa State, Abubakar said that NAF had already received some, including helicopters and had repaired 12 aircraft.
He said: “We have inducted additional aircraft in the combat, including M35 helicopters.
“We are expecting more aircraft which government had already paid for to add value and improved our performance in the North-East.”
Abubakar was in Yola to interact with officers and men of the air component of Operation Lafiya Dole fighting the Boko Haram insurgency in line with the directives of the Acting President to security chiefs.
He said that his interaction with NAF personnel in Maiduguri and Yola revealed that their morale was high and that they were fully committed to the fight against Boko Haram.
Abubakar said: “I am very satisfied with their morale and level of commitment to do the job.
“I also tasked them to re-double their effort to make sure that we have a secured environment.”
Abubakar thanked the executive and legislative arms for their support to the armed forces.
He further reiterated the commitment of NAF to make maximum use of available resources to achieve results.
He said: “For the support we are getting from government, we have to be grateful to the Commander-in-Chief and the National Assembly.”
Abubakar solicited more public support in providing relevant information to security agencies to check the latest surge in suicide bombing and kidnappings by the insurgents.
He described the recent development as desperate attempts by the remnants of the degraded insurgents to create fear in the public.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
