Boko Haram: NAF to deploy fighter jets to Niger Republic airfields for attacks

- The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will soon begin deploying fighter jets to Niger Republic airfields to serve as airbase to launch attacks on terrorists

- This was disclosed by the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar on Wednesday, November 21

- The CAS made the statement at the closing ceremony of the maiden edition of Nigerian Air Force International Air Power Seminar

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will soon begin deploying fighter jets to Niger Republic airfields to serve as airbase to launch attacks on terrorists.

This was disclosed by the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar on Wednesday, November 21, while speaking to journalists at the closing ceremony of the maiden edition of Nigerian Air Force International Air Power Seminar with the theme: Air Power in Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Understanding and Responding.

The CAS revealed that the decision was taken after, “more collaboration” with the Nigerien Air Force.

His words: “We can now deploy our air planes to their air fields and operate from there, rather than coming back to Maiduguri, we can operate from Diffa which is in Niger Republic.

“We have benefited immensely and it will definitely add value to what we are doing.”

Speaking on the success of the three-day seminar, Air Marshal Abubakar said: “The most important nothing for us is the fact that we have underlined the global character of terrorism.

“There is no country in the world that can fight terrorism in the world alone, so the whole idea of this seminar, is to gather people who have similar interest, similar understanding of this kind of threat.

“Boko Haram is not a Nigerian problem alone. It is a global problem, therefore what we did was to simply bring to Nigeria, people from different countries that have fought terrorism before or are currently fighting terrorism so that they understand what we are doing.

“We also have people from the academics who have come to share with us their experiences and how best they think we can improve on what we are doing.”

Speaking earlier, Major General Yousef Al-Hnaity, the Commander of the Jordanian Royal Air Force described the seminar as highly important.

“It is not only for Nigeria or the region, it is for the world. The presentations had great value. The issues has been discussed and the challenges have been addressed,” he said.

He noted that the Nigerian Air Force and the Jordanian Air Force have a smooth working relationship, adding that he will work side-by-side with the CAS to strengthen the relationship.

He also stated that he will work with the CAS to ensure that areas where there can be partnership between both countries come to fruition.

On his part, the Chief of Staff of the Niger Republic Air Force, Lieutenant-Colonel Boulama Issa Zana said the seminar was “a concentration of ideas to overcome terrorism.”

He hailed the CAS for inviting experienced countries fighting terrorism to the seminar, saying, “we would take this experience and put it in our areas.”

“We are collaborating and and also improving on how to work together,” he added.

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President Muhammadu Buhari declared the seminar open on Monday, November 19, in Abuja.

Commending the NAF for pulling such feat with the seminar, the president said the military is saddled with the responsibility of finding practical ways to reinvigorate the fight against insurgency.

He noted that the seminar is timely since the outbreak of the Boko Haram crisis in the northeast of Nigeria, the NAF and indeed the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been engaged in conducting counter insurgency operations that have challenged the services’ doctrine, tactics, training, Order of Battle and Force Protection architecture.

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