NAF restates commitment to defeat insurgents

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reiterated the military’s determination to defeat the Boko Haram insurgents.

This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja and signed by the Air Commodore Dele Alonge, Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF.

It said the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, gave the assurance when the Director- General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Abubakar said that NAF had renewed its air operations and re-strategised to make the Service more effective in the conduct of its operations in the battlefield.

"Whether in support of the Army or while acting singularly, NAF has made tremendous gains in ensuring that the terrorists are degraded and no longer able to move freely within the theater of operations," he said.

The chief of air staff observed that the effect of the successes had further reassured the citizens who had started returning to their villages.

He assured that the December deadline set by the Federal Government to end the insurgency would be achieved.

Abubakar further stated that NAF was committed to supporting NEMA in taking care of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the various camps throughout the North-East.

According to him, the NAF has already provided a level-two hospital at the Dalori camp in Adamawa with over 34 highly specialised medical personnel.

Earlier, Sani-Sidi said that he was at the Air Force Headquarters to solicit support and cooperation from the Service in the discharge of the agency’s functions.

He said NEMA was struggling with the task of managing over 2.1 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in conjunction with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and support from other donor agencies.

He said NEMA was moving to the stage of rehabilitation and reconstruction in collaboration with other government agencies as normalcy was gradually returning to the North-East.

According to him, many IDPs are voluntarily leaving the camps and returning to their villages, which he said, had enabled the agency to start closing some of the camps.

The director-general, therefore, commended the Nigerian Air Force for its role in the counter-insurgency operation and also thanked the Service for the support offered to the IDPs at the various camps.