Air Chief Pledges to Meet the High Expectations of Nigerians

The newly appointed Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, assumed office on Thursday with a commitment to breathe new life into the ongoing battle against banditry, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity plaguing the nation.

Abubakar acknowledged the high expectations of Nigerians regarding the security agencies’ ability to address the country’s insecurity. Under his leadership, he promised that the Air Force would collaborate with other security agencies to eliminate criminal elements from the country.

Following his assumption of office as the 22nd Chief of Air Staff in Abuja, he stated, “I have been appointed when Nigerians have high expectations for the accelerated achievement of peace and security. I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to revitalize our fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and other challenges.”

Abubakar emphasized the importance of cooperation and synergy with other agencies, contributing significantly to the successes of various operational theaters. He assured that these attributes would be upheld per the President’s directive during the first National Security Council meeting.

Under his leadership, Abubakar announced that the Air Force would introduce additional measures to strengthen operations in various theaters.

“We will also implement further measures and approaches that will continue to diminish our challenges and improve the performance of our operational theaters. We will demonstrate unwavering commitment and sustain efforts to overcome any threats to the peace and security of our great nation, Nigeria,” he stated.

The new Chief of Air Staff pledged his loyalty to the President.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oludayo Amao, highlighted the achievements made by the service during his tenure, including doctrine development, air operations, human capacity development, fleet enhancement, the establishment of new units, and logistics support, among others.

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Amao stated, “Our capability to conduct air operations across the full spectrum of air power has significantly improved. The Nigerian Air Force can now effectively engage in simultaneous combat operations, night operations, and precision strikes.”

He also mentioned the extensive training conducted during his time, which addressed the shortage of combat pilots in the past. 7,424 personnel were trained, including 429 pilots and 203 UED operators.

Amao encouraged his successor to build upon previous leaders’ achievements to ensure the service’s optimal operational capacity. He assured that they would support ongoing efforts to eradicate insurgencies, banditry, and other forms of criminality in the country.