President Bola Tinubu mourned the deaths of troops killed in an ambush by bandits in the Shiroro area of Niger State on Tuesday, as well as the crash of a Nigerian Air Force helicopter in the state on Monday.
The President expressed “immense sadness” about the incidents in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday.
“These officers and men were responding to the call of duty while on an evacuation mission,” he said. They paid the ultimate price for their dedicated service to our beloved country.”
Tinubu said, “On behalf of a grateful nation, I extend my condolences to their families, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, and the entire Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
This came as Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, vowed that the military would rid Niger State and other states of banditry and insurgency.
This comes after bandits ambushed troops and killed many in Niger State’s Shiroro region.
The Air Force also lost an aircraft while on a rescue mission in the state on Monday.
However, Abubakar stated that his service in collaboration with the land force would strengthen their operations.
He vowed that the military, with its combat capabilities, would completely eliminate the criminals.
When the governor of Niger State, Umar Bago, paid him a condolence visit in Abuja on Tuesday, Abubakar spoke.
“As you are aware, Niger State and other states in this region are plagued by the threat of banditry, insurgency, and other challenges, which have continued to threaten the peace, security, and well-being of the people,” he said.
“I want to assure you that the Nigerian Air Force and the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed, dedicated, and unafraid in our efforts to eliminate the security challenges posed by these non-state actors.”
“Our strategy now is to step up our operations in tandem with the land forces in order to completely eliminate these criminal elements with our combat capabilities.” ”I also believe in my philosophy, which is to transform the Air Force into an agile force capable of meeting all of our national security’s air power demands in all operational environments.”
The Niger attack, according to the Air Chief, was the result of increased onslaughts against the bandits.
“Despite our efforts, we have a couple of issues, one of which is the air crash,” he said. The truth is that as long as we fly planes, there will be accidents.
“The number of incidents and accidents is directly proportional to the number of operations.” On our part, we are not folding our arms, even with the challenges. In any operational environment, the ideal is to aim for zero incidents and accidents. We are putting a lot of initiatives in place to check this.’’
He also stated that the weather has hampered the service’s operations.
“We have other seasonal challenges,” Abubakar explained. The rain has begun to fall, and there is a cloud in the sky, limiting our ability to see and strike. Similarly, the arrival of the harmattan has an effect on our operations. These are the challenges we face. We hope that you will understand when some of these challenges impede or hinder our operations.”
He, however, urged the governor to embrace a whole-government approach to curbing criminality in his state.
Speaking, the governor pleaded with the Air Chief to deploy more troops and fighter jets to the state.
He added that this was needed to guarantee the protection of lives and properties in the state.
“I have come here to say Minna Airport was created as a backup for Abuja Airport, and we have the longest runways in Nigeria. We’re calling on you to please send some detachments and some fighter planes to Minna so that we can have more rapid responses when they are very close instead of flying from either Kainji or Kaduna.
“Let me at this juncture say thank you for giving us this time, and say that the Niger State government will support you wherever you are. We are happy with what you’re doing, we’re behind you, and we will support you,’’ the governor said.
“Our people have also asked me to tell you that we can give you accommodations if you can bring people. We will provide accommodations that are very close to the airport in Minna for you to stay in because we value your protection.”
While condoling with Abubakar over the deaths of troops in Niger State, he urged the military not to give up.
“We also sympathise with the Nigerian military over the losses recorded in the ambush that happened in Wushishi, which eventually brought about the evacuation by your chopper that crashed.
“ The Air Force has done so much for us as a people. You have supported Niger State in the fight against insurgency and banditry. I want to say, don’t be tired. Thank you very much for what you’ve been doing,” the governor said.