NAF: War on Boko Haram Will End Before December

The Nigerian Air Force( NA F) yesterdaydisclosed that the ongoing war on Boko Ha ram, an Islam i st terrorist organisation based in Northeast would be brought to an end before December 2020.

Shortly after the NAF announced its ambitious plan, the United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward K all on called on the federal government to reinforce the safety and security of all humanitarian workers in the Northeast.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal S ad i que A bu bak ar disclosed the plan to end the Boko Ha ram ins urgency before the end of the year in Mai dug uri yesterday while addressing troops of the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole.

The Northeast has been the centre of terrorist operations since 2009 with no fewer than 27,000 killed, some two million people displaced and communities destroyed in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States.

With these costs of fighting the insurgency, Abubakar said the NAF would ensure that no individual or group of individuals undermined the territorial integrity of Nigeria, saying the NAF “has the mandate

to end the war on terrorism in the Northeast.”

He said: “We must therefore keep working hard. I am very sure at least, before the end of this year or latest by the end of this year, we will be rounding up this operation.

“So, work towards this target. Be assured that the NA F will continue to support you. The Commander has adequately briefed me. I have also been monitoring what you have been doing in the last few months, starting with Operation Long Reach I and Operation Long Reach II.

“We are satisfied. We are very excited that you are making substantial progress to eliminate the Boko Ha ram ins urgency in the Northeast, so that our people can go back to their farm sand live their normal lives.”

He, therefore, urged the troops “to ensure that everything is being done to ensure that Northeast and Nigeria is secured. On our part at the NA F Headquarters, I want to assure you that we will continue to support your operations, not only in terms of training you require, the equipment you require, but all the welfare requirements that you need in order to make you effective in your assigned task.”

He revealed that the NAF had got excellent support from the federal government, noting that it had not had such type of support in many years.

In the last few years, the air force chief explained more than 22 aircraft were procured while delivery of 16 more is currently awaited.

He pointed out that without the aircraft in the present security challenges, the security situation in the country would have been unimaginable.

Abubakar said: “Assuming these aircraft were not acquired, what would have been the situation? That is what we keep forgetting.”