The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, disclosed during a visit by members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Air Force to the Force headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Nigerian Air Force says insecurity in the country has been worsened by the high cost of living and lack of jobs for the teeming youths which have pushed some into crime.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, disclosed during a visit by members of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Air Force to the Force headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
The team was led by its Chairman, Kabiru Alhassan Rurum.
The Chief of Air Staff briefed the lawmakers on Nigeria’s current security environment, which according to him has remained fluid, dynamic and unpredictable.
According to a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, AVM. Edward Gabkwet, Abubakar told the members of the House that while terrorists’ activities in the Northeast and Northwest had declined, the terrorists have adopted kidnapping and hostage-taking as their new operational tactics, citing recent incidents in Kaduna, Sokoto and Borno states.
Abubakar was quoted as saying: “While terrorists’ activities in the Northeast and Northwest Nigeria have declined, we have in recent times witnessed an escalation in the rate and frequency of kidnappings and hostage-taking by these same criminals in the region.
"The recent coordinated spade of kidnappings of over 200 school children in Kaduna, 15 students in Sokoto and several others in Borno States are clear pointers to this fact."
The CAS, however, noted that in the southeast and south-south region, the threats posed by secessionists and oil thieves, though on the decline, had also been a source of concern.
He further stated the situation had been exacerbated as more Nigerians slipped into poverty, occasioned by a lack of jobs amid the high cost of living.
Despite the challenges, the CAS noted that the NAF had continued to embark on a wide range of intensive air operations, including Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance, Air Interdiction and Armed Reconnaissance across operational theatres in the country, with varying degrees of success.
He said the successes recorded were made possible because of the support of President Bola Tinubu as evident in the recent acquisition and induction of various platforms with the most recent being the induction of 2 x T-129 ATAK Helicopters.
Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Rurum informed the Chief of Air Staff that the visit, which was in line with the provisions of sections 88 & 62(1) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Order 20(B) 13 of the Standing Orders of the 10th House of Representatives, aims at nurturing a robust relationship between the NASS and the NAF.
He went on to state that the Committee stands as a beacon of support and intervention as matters concerning budget allocation and implementation, policy amendments, public perception, transparency and community engagement will be brought to the forefront for discussion, understanding and possible legislative action.
“Through an open channel of communication and collaboration as well as understanding the current status and challenges faced by the Service, we can collectively explore avenues to strengthen NAF’s operational capacity," the statement quoted the chairman as saying.