Force chief assures of additional measures to check insecurity

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, yesterday, pledged the readiness of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to tackle insecurity in the country, with the additional deployment of Special Mission Aircraft to complement the effort of the existing ATR 42 Aircraft.

Abubakar disclosed this to newsmen during a tour of facilities at the 107 Air Maritime Group of NAF in Benin, Edo State.

He said the deployment of the Special Mission Aircraft to Edo State and across the country would address security challenges, as well as provide air surveillance of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to the Gulf of Guinea in ensuring a safe maritime industry.

Abubakar, who noted that the special mission aircraft would add value to the security arrangement of the Nigerian Maritime security environment, said: “Pilots for the Special Mission aircraft have been nominated. The special mission aircraft will add value to the security arrangement of the Nigerian Maritine security environment and I believe the personnel will play a crucial role in ensuring that Maritime security is assured…

“The ATR aircraft, which operates from Benin, is all over the country. It was in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna states and right now, the 930 aircraft is flying all over the place in the North East…”