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 yesterday.
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 yesterday, 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.
