Airforce Begins Aerial Surveillance in FCT, Neighbouring States

In response to emerging security threats around the country, especially within the North Central and North West zones, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched aerial patrol and surveillance to monitor security situation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring states.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, disclosed this during a chat with journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja after flagging off of NAF Aerial patrol around FCT‎ yesterday.

Speaking at the event, Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding, Training Command Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nuruddeen Balogun, said, “with all the security issues that are bedeviling the North East, North West and also the Federal Capital”, he said a directive has been issued that “we should combine the ongoing operations in those areas and ensure that the FCT is covered”.

This, he said, is a combination of Operation Yaki, Operation Sharan Daji and the joint operations taking place in Abuja.

“As you can see, there are three light utility helicopters that are capable of kinetic action, what we are suppose to do is coordinate the activities of the ground force with what we see air borne and make sure we bring effective fire and action to bear on whosoever it is that has intention of breaching security,” he added.

The Air chief listed the area of operations to include FCT, the Abuja-Kaduna highway, Birnin Gwari-Kaduna highway, the Falgore forest area, Minna general area, the Kano-Kaduna highway.

Expatiating on the target of the surveillance, he said, “We are looking at kidnappers, we are looking at armed robbers, we are looking at cattle rustlers mainly.

Noting that there is no timeframe for the security measure, the air officer said, “we would continue to do it until it subsides completely.

I am sure Nigerians understand the situation we find ourselves now, anybody who is innocent has nothing to fear, only people with criminal intent should be worried, there is no problem, it’s a normal routine activity, we will make sure we identify and confirm before any action is taken.”

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