By Kingsley Omonobi
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has tasked Nigerian Air Force, NAF, personnel of the Air Component of Operation Hadarin DajiI not to relent in their efforts, but to press on with air strikes until acts of banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality are brought to an end.
He charged the personnel to maintain control of the operational space and exploit every intelligence resource, saying “we must continue to remain focused by maintaining the highest level of vigilance and combat readiness that the NAF is known for, to rid our communities of criminal elements.”
Air Marshal Abubakar spoke on Saturday during the luncheon organised by NAF to celebrate the Eid-El-Kabir with frontline troops in Katsina.
This is just as Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, who was guest of honour at the luncheon, commended NAF personnel for their substantial sacrifices in the fight against banditry.
In his remarks, Abubakar highlighted that the tradition of having lunch with frontline troops during festivities was borne out of the need to strengthen the bond of comradeship and create a more relaxed atmosphere for troops to unwind while remaining geared up to face the tasks ahead.
He noted that the luncheons also served as avenues to celebrate and appreciate the hard work, dedication, resilience and patriotism of the personnel as well as convey his support for the smooth and timely execution of their assigned missions.
Air Marshal Abubakar, while remembering the sacrifices of all those who had paid the supreme price in service to the nation, prayed that God would grant their families comfort, even as the NAF continues to acknowledge their efforts with gestures like the Group Life Insurance and other incentives.
“For the serving gallant personnel that you are, we will continue to provide necessary tools to enhance your precise and effective prosecution of operations such as infrastructure, modern equipment, communication, vehicles, personal protective equipment and so on,” he added.
(VANGUARD)
