Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force said it has concluded plans to establish a Forward Operational Base (FOB) in Taraba State to curb the incessant attacks by herdsmen on innocent farmers in the country.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who made this known, also said the Air Force has concluded plans to establish a Quick Response Wing along the Benue-Nassarawa axis.
Marshal Abubakar gave the hint in a lecture he delivered at the National Defence College (NDC) titled ‘The Nigerian Air Force – Challenges and Future Perspectives”,
The NAF oss, in a statement signed by the Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshall Adetokunbo Adesanya, lamented the menace caused by the incessant herders/farmers clash.
Adesanya, in the statement said, “The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, today disclosed plans by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to establish a Forward Operational Base (FOB) in Taraba State, as part of plans to further tackle the incessant herdsmen-farmers clash in the country.
“The CAS, who disclosed the plans while delivering a lecture to participants of National Defence College (NDC) Course 26 in Abuja, also announced plans to establish a Quick Response Wing along the Benue-Nassarawa Axis. The title of the lecture, which lasted one hour, was ‘The Nigerian Air Force – Challenges and Future Perspectives’. Participants of the Course are drawn from senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and those of sister African countries, senior officials of other security agencies in Nigeria as well as those of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“The lecture afforded the CAS to share thoughts with the participants on how the National Defence Policy prescribes that the NAF should be employed, out of which the mission statement of the NAF was coined. Air Marshal Abubakar also spoke on the current and likely threats as well as contingencies from the perspective of air operations. He then elucidated on his vision for the NAF while also highlighting current efforts at actualizing it.
“Some of the initiatives included but are not limited to the establishment of new commands and some units, improvement in human capacity development, improved aircraft serviceability and logistics support as well as enhanced personnel welfare. He also spoke about the efforts being made in the area of research and development towards improved self-sufficiency, as a result of which the NAF is currently making great savings in foreign exchange.
“Thereafter, he discussed the current NAF Force structure, doctrine, current capabilities and equipment holding in response to threats alongside the NAF’s strategic plan before looking at NAF future perspectives. The CAS equally examined the challenges and constraints to the NAF’s air power effectiveness before concluding the lecture by discussing the strategies to countering the challenges enumerated. The lecture was followed by a stimulating interactive session.”