Zulum Wants More Air Power To Combat Terrorists

Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has called for the deployment of additional air platforms to degrade the capabilities of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the Lake Chad, Sambisa Forest, Timbuktu triangle and Mandara Mountains.

Governor Zulum made the appeal when he received the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Bala Abubakar, at the Government House, Maiduguri, yesterday.

He commended the Nigerian Air Force’s efforts in combating insecurity in the state, providing air cover to ground troops and humanitarian support to displaced persons.

“Notwithstanding the enormous contribution to the enhancement of peace and security in the state by the Nigerian Air Force, we still need more in terms of air power in our general Area of Responsibility (AoR), especially in the shores of the Lake Chad, Sambisa forest, Timbuktu triangle and Mandara mountains,” Zulum declared.

“This areas are very difficult to be manned effectively by ground troops alone, we need a heavy air power in order to eliminate the insurgents and address insecurity in the general area,” he added.

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Governor Zulum acknowledged the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other platforms in the state and region, assuring that all the needed support would be provided to enable the service to succeed.

“I wish to assure you that Borno State government remains fully committed to working in partnership with the Nigerian Air Force and other stakeholders to consolidate the gains we have achieved and address the gaps that persist,” Zulum added.

The governor also commended the synergy between the Nigerian Air Force and other services in counterinsurgency operations, noting that it contributed to recent operational successes.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Bala Abubakar, applauded governor Babagana Zulum’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme, describing it as successful.

Air Marshall Abubakar also commended the governor’s leadership style, which, according to him, has strengthened local governance, facilitated community resilience, and improved critical infrastructure, which has contributed greatly to improving the security landscape in the state.

“Let me, at this juncture, join many others who have commended the Borno model, which is a community-driven non-kinetic strategy developed by the Borno State government to address terrorism and the attendant humanitarian crises in the state. Undoubtedly, it has yielded positive results over the years, most evidently in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Deradicalisation programme.

“The model has been largely successful with the active participation of community-based groups, coupled with its focus on healing and reconciliation rather than punishment, especially for those forced into terrorism. These efforts have positively impacted on the security situation across Borno and other states in the North East Zone and should be sustained.

“The Nigerian Air Force remains fully committed to ensuring peace and security in the North East, particularly in Borno State. The air component of Operation Hadin Kai has, this year, intensified its operations tempo to an unprecedented level,” he stated.