NAF Boosts Air Power Against Terrorists With Nine Fighter Jets, Says 49 more aircraft coming
***Terrorists’ leaders among 13,543 killed Says Badaru
Terrorists and bandits are in for tough times with the acquisition of nine new fighter jets by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Forty-nine more fighter aircraft are expected to join the fleet, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said on Wednesday.
He said NAF strikes killed 3,496 terrorists in the Northeast since June 2023, with more than 121,000 insurgents and their families surrendering to security forces.
Also on Wednesday, Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said security forces have stepped up the battle against insurgency.
Badaru said over 124,408 insurgents surrendered in the past two years, while 13,543 terrorists and bandits, including some of their prominent leaders and commanders, were killed by combined security forces.
According to him, some of the neutralised terrorist commanders include Abu Bilal Minuki, Haruna Isiya Boderi, Kachallah Alhaji Dayi, Kachallah Idi, Kachallah Kabiru, Kachallah Azailaru, and Alhaji Baldu.
Air Marshal Abubakar spoke during a lecture he delivered at the Air Force War College in Makurdi, Benue State.
Badaru and Idris spoke during the seventh edition of the Ministerial Briefing in Abuja.
Air Marshal Abubakar stressed that the targeted investments by the Tinubu Administration have significantly bolstered NAF’s operational capabilities.
He said: “These acquisitions will further expand the service’s capacity to execute complex missions and maintain momentum in ongoing air operations.”
He said last year, the NAF flew over 4,500 hours across 2,304 sorties, executing nearly 2,000 counterinsurgency missions.
“Additionally, over 2,600 anti-banditry sorties were carried out, resulting in 4,670 hours of flight time.
“In support of efforts to combat economic sabotage, the NAF conducted 366 sorties targeting crude oil theft and illegal refining, amassing more than 1,450 hours of flight time.
“These figures are not mere statistics; they represent real missions, real risks, and real outcomes.
“Through the strategic deployment of both kinetic and non-kinetic air power, we have disrupted oil theft syndicates and secured critical infrastructure,” he said.
He cited recent data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission showing a 13 per cent increase in crude oil and condensate production in Q4 2024.
He attributed the growth to effective air operations and security collaboration.
Air Marshal Abubakar urged the next generation of Air Force leaders to embrace strategic command challenges.
“Your leadership, professionalism, and resolve will determine the Air Force’s ability to meet current and future security threats,” he said.
Idris: security top on Fed Govt’s agenda
Idris said strengthening national security is top on the Tinubu Administration’s agenda, which he added explains the huge investment in acquisitions of modern equipment.
“The Tinubu Administration has demonstrated this resolve not merely through words, but through concrete actions – including the acquisition of advanced platforms and armaments, enhanced intelligence gathering, intensive training and retraining of personnel, and strategic global partnerships.”
The minister urged the media to support the military in the discharge of its responsibility.
He said: “The media, as gatekeepers and partners in nation-building, have a crucial role to play in supporting our military’s morale by highlighting their successes and sacrifices.
“Our armed forces are not only respected by global allies but also feared by those who threaten our collective peace.
“It is equally important to recognise that the fight against insecurity is not limited to kinetic approaches.
“It is also a battle for the hearts and minds of our people – one that terrorist groups are actively exploiting through propaganda, especially on social media platforms.
“I, therefore, call on our media professionals and editors to be discerning in their reportage.
“We must deny these groups the undue publicity they crave.
“We must take them off the front pages and accurately report them as the criminals they are, without glorifying their acts or giving credence to their false narratives.
“These are not freedom fighters; they are murderers, kidnappers, and destroyers, and they must be presented as such.
“Let us remember that responsible and patriotic journalism is essential to building a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria – one that holds promise not just for our nation, but for the stability and development of the entire West African sub-region and the African continent at large.”
Badaru: military not inferior to terrorists
Badaru faulted claims by federal lawmakers that terrorists have the upper hand over military troops.
The criticism followed attacks on military bases in Borno.
The lawmakers had claimed that the attacks showed Boko Haram and ISWAP were better equipped.
But the minister attributed the attacks to terrorists’ irregular warfare tactics aided by local informants, not military inferiority.
Badaru said: “That is absolutely not true. We have much more sophisticated weapons and much more sophisticated drones.
“The issue is, this war is not a conventional war. It is like a guerrilla war. They watch us, they have informants around us. They give them information.
“They don’t have more equipment than we do. We have much more. We have much more sophisticated equipment.”
The minister said over 17,469 suspected criminals were arrested in two years, while 9,821 kidnap victims, including women and children, were rescued across the country.
“Cast your mind back to two years ago. People could not travel from Abuja to Kaduna, Birnin Gwari to Kaduna, Abuja to Lokoja, and so many other roads freely.
“But today, the story is different. Nigerians are now travelling freely,” he said.
Badaru attributed the resurgence to infiltration of terrorists from neighbouring countries as a result of rising insecurity in the Sahelian region, especially in Niger, Mali, Cameroun, Republic of Benin and Chad Republic.
He said the use of drones by terrorists was no cause for alarm as they were civilian drones modified for surveillance, not military-grade or weaponised ones.
Badaru said 10 of 53 companies under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) have started producing military hardware, including drones, aircraft parts, and protective gear, as part of efforts towards self-sufficiency.
“We are working to see if we can sustain a section in Ajaokuta that will support our efforts to make DICON more vibrant,” Badaru said.
