Mariam Sanni

The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru, has urged the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to continue to enhance safety in its operational activities through effective training and manpower development.

Badaru, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Ibrahim Kana, made the call at the NAF Training, Operations and Safety Seminar for the year 2024,in Abuja.

The theme of the seminar is, “Agile and Resilient Air Power for National Security: Enhancing Safety and Optimizing NAF Air Operations to Combat Emerging Threats”.

He said that NAF had achieved significant operational milestones, adding that its ability to effectively utilise its recently acquired assets and platforms to combat terrorism and restore stability to the nation was a notable accomplishment.

According to him, NAF’s successes can be attributed to its well-trained personnel, who operate with a strong emphasis on safety.

“This focus on safety is crucial, as it enables the NAF to maintain a high level of operational tempo while minimising the risk of accidents and mishaps.

“It is noteworthy to mention that the North Eastern part of the country now enjoys relative peace and calmness owing to the selfless contributions and dedication of the men of the armed forces.

“All these would not have been possible if not for the constant need to assess performances and identify shortcomings in our operational activities.

“I believe this is what gave birth to a forum like this, where we would rub minds and examine areas that require improvement,” he said.

The minister said the seminar underscored the need to project air power in the face of national security imperatives while striving to operate within a safe environment.

He emphasised that operations and training were interrelated, saying that the grassroots of every operational activity was quality and adequate training.

According to him, a well-trained airman is a lethal weapon in the field of operations. Training serves as the factory that churns out the finished products that could be used for operational activities.

“Your work done in operations will almost be zero if you cannot produce well-trained personnel.

“Similarly, operations is a crucial part of a fighting force and the current security dynamics of the country mandate the conduct of concurrent operational activities at all levels,” he added.

Badaru called for sustained synergy between the NAF and ground forces in all operational theatres to ensure success.

Mariam Sanni

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that troops fighting oil theft, destroyed 2,413 illegal refineries in the last year.

This was disclosed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, at a media briefing in Abuja.

He also said that troops recovered 524 weapons, and thwarted oil theft amounting to over N57 billion.

He added that the troops also arrested 2,176 terrorists, and rescued 73 kidnapped hostages.

Gen. Buba, at a media briefing on the update of military operations conducted across the country, said the military has continued to bombard terrorists and criminal hideouts, denying them the opportunity to carry out attacks at will.

He added that to ensure the security and safety of all Nigerians and deny terrorists the ability to operate, troops have adopted a high level of alert and an increased state of readiness to protect the country from further terrorist aggression and insecurity.

Giving an update on military operations conducted in the last year, Gen. Buba said: “Troops’ aggression across the various theatres of operation since the beginning of the year culminated in 8,034 neutralised terrorists, 11,623 arrests, and 6,376 rescued hostages. Furthermore, troops recovered 8,216 weapons, 211,459 ammunitions, and denied oil theft estimated at over N57 billion (N57,052,218,551.00).”

“The breakdown of the recoveries is as follows: 4,053 AK47 rifles, 1,123 locally fabricated guns, 731 dane guns, and 240 pump-action guns. Others are: 120,247 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 41,515 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,373 cartridges, 1,940 assorted arms, and 25,664 assorted ammunitions.”

Additionally, he said troops recovered: 53,101,430 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,179,181 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 90,595 litres of DPK. Others include 156,095 litres of PMS, among other items.

“Overall, the military is keeping up the pressure through ongoing operations in the various theatres across the country. The military, through these operations, is increasingly creating conditions in which terrorists cannot carry out acts of terror or harm citizens.”

“On the whole, the armed forces are constantly examining ways to improve the effectiveness of their operations and guarantee the safety of citizens. Relatedly, operations are on an upward trajectory towards winning the war.”

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