Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,194,916 members, 7,956,446 topics. Date: Monday, 23 September 2024 at 12:06 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Air Force To Deploy Fighter Jets To N-delta – NAF Chief (502 Views)
Navy, Army Deploy Fighter Jets, Gunboats To Warri Creeks / US Senators Block Sale Of Fighter Jets To Nigeria Over Human Rights Concern / Avengers: Military Deploy Fighter Jets, Surveillance Aircrafts (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
Air Force To Deploy Fighter Jets To N-delta – NAF Chief by bhabz01(m): 9:31am On Aug 22, 2016 |
ABUJA — Apparently angered by the activities of
criminals, who are currently bombing strategic
national oil facilities, the federal government may
deploy its fighter jets and troops to flush out the
malevolent elements.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Mshl Sadique
Abubakar inspecting the newly weaponized NAF
alpha jet after test.
This came on a day three Niger Delta militant
groups, in solidarity with the Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, declared their support for the
move by monarchs and leaders in the region to
form a pan-Niger Delta group, comprising all the
ethnic nationalities in the coastal states. This is
to enable the region negotiate with the Federal
Government on way out of the current crisis.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq
Abubakar, confirmed at a media briefing in Abuja,
yesterday, that the jets might move in soon but
did not give a specific date and the number of
troops to be mobilized for the crucial assignment.
There were conflicting declarations by the Niger
Delta Avengers, who have been bombing oil
assets in the area and several militant groups
over further destruction of oil facilities.
While the NDA said it would stop further
bombings, two other militant groups vowed to
destroy more oil platforms in the region until the
federal government met their demands.
But at the media briefing, the CAS explained that
the mission of the NAF was to preserve Nigeria’s
sovereignty and protect lives and property in the
Niger Delta.
Abubakar said: “Our mandate is to protect the
sovereignty of Nigeria. What we are doing is to
protect oil infrastructure and the community.
“We are not going into the Niger Delta to fight
militants or anybody, but to protect oil facilities
and the people as guaranteed by the constitution
of Nigeria," the NAF boss declared.
Abubakar also spoke on effort by the Federal
Government to rescue the Chibok girls, saying the
government was more concerned than anybody
else about locating and freeing the abducted
students.
He said it was all in a bid to salvage the girls and
other Nigerians seized by the Boko Haram
terrorists that the NAF has continued daily
missions over the 60,000-square metre Sambisa
forest. According to him, NAF is dedicated to
identifying the possible locations of the missing
girls and rescuing them.
Responding to a recent video clip by Boko Haram,
accusing the NAF of bombing the Chibok girls to
death, Abubakar described such claim as sheer
sentiments by the terrorists in an apparent bid to
earn the support of the gullible.
“These guys are just trying to whip up
sentiments. No NAF aircraft bombed any Chibok
girl or any Nigerian we are trying to rescue from
the hands of the terrorists.
“The truth is that we conduct our operations with
the safety and wellbeing of the innocent civilians
around the operational areas in mind. We used 50
per cent of our missions to find the girls through
intelligence. We fly over the forest routinely all in
a bid to free the young girls and I want to say
that we are more concerned about Chibok girls
and all those trapped by Boko haram than anyone
else.
“We painstakingly identify our legitimate targets
to strike and not civilians and our pilots have
always carried out their duty in line with the best
standards of operation,” he said.
NAF Chief warns Boko Haram
Abubakar asked the terrorists to give up on the
fight as there was no escape route for them.
The air chief disclosed that NAF had already
developed an unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV,
through its research and development effort,
adding that as part of NAF’s quest to produce a
Nigerian jet, it has despatched a team to the
United States to work on the possibility of a
Nigerian jet.
Abubakar disclosed that NAF had been able to
use research and development and collaboration
with some Nigerian universities to find solutions
to some of its operational facilities, which were
hitherto maintained abroad at exorbitant rates.
The NAF boss said no fewer than 960 units of
houses have been built for the welfare of its
officers and men and a strategic post-retirement
scheme put in place for them.
On the plight of Internally displaced persons in the
northeast, Abubakar said that the NAF had built
and commissioned a hospital in Borno State to
take care of victims of terrorism, while another
one would soon go into operation.
He said NAF had performed eye operations on
120 IDPs in the state and had given them
necessary support so as to alleviate their
suffering.
Three more militant groups go for peace
Meanwhile, three Niger Delta militant groups in
solidarity with the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA,
yesterday, declared their support for the move by
monarchs and leaders in the region to negotiate
with the Federal Government.
The groups are Reformed Egbesu Fraternities,
REF, Asawana Deadly Force of Niger Delta,
ADFNG and Niger Delta Development Movement,
NDDM.
But Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
Delta, MEND, dismissed the initiative by Niger
Delta monarchs and leaders, singling out Chief
Edwin Clark and Governor of Delta State, Senator
Ifeanyi Okowa, who they contended were not in a
position to persuade Niger Deltans to key into
President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda.
REF, in an open letter to President Buhari, also
announced a 60-day ceasefire on attacks on oil
facilities in the Niger Delta in deference to the
Niger Delta monarchs and leaders, who ordered
them to stop hostilities.
REF leaders, “General” Tony Alagbakeriowei and
“Commander” Ebi Abakoromor, commended Chief
Clark and the royal fathers, who participated in
the meeting and resolutions reached at Effurun,
Warri, Delta State, last Friday, describing it as a
“step in the right direction.”
They said: “Aware that our collective strengths
and efforts no doubt have had a very negative
impact on the economy of the country, coupled
with our commitment and determination to
continue with our bombing of oil and gas
infrastructure and the declaration of the Niger
Delta Peoples Republic, we have been pressured
and appealed to by the Niger Delta Coastal States
Stakeholders Consultative Meeting, convened by
Chief Clark and most importantly, the Niger Delta
Dialogue Contact Group, led by HRM, King Alfred
Diette Spiff.
“Nigerians from all shades of opinion, elder
statesmen, royal majesties, elders, chiefs,
members of parliament, bureaucrats, technocrats,
diplomats, ministers of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, key government functionaries among
numerous others, pleaded that we come to the
negotiation table.
“In view of the persistent pleas and appeals, the
Consultative Council of the Reformed Egbesu
Fraternities unilaterally declare cessation of
hostilities for a period of 60 days to enable the
Niger Delta stakeholders commence an all
embracing dialogue with the federal government.
“We never begged the Federal Government for
dialogue because in the last few months, we have
not seen the sincerity and commitment to
dialogue.
"However, under this 60- day period, we call on
relevant security agencies to stop forthwith all
military harassment and intimidation of suspected
members of these and other organisations.
“We caution the preconceived notion of the
service chiefs of the armed forces, who had
persistently stated recourse to military option, if
dialogue fails.
"This, to the best of our knowledge, is an act of
intimidation and a ploy to truncate the
negotiation process if at all there is sincerity and
commitment on the part of the Federal
Government,” REF added.
MEND slams peace moves
MEND on its part, urged the Federal Government
to ignore any resolution reached at the meeting of
the stakeholders convened by Chief Clark.
MEND, in a statement by spokesperson, Jomo
Gbomo, said: “The communique failed to
categorically condemn the criminal and
treasonable activities of the Niger Delta Avengers,
NDA.
“This was principally because, notable promoter
of the meeting, Chief Clark, was recently named
by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, as
a major supporter of the NDA.”
Though, Chief Clark and others accused by RNDA
of promoting NDA had denied the allegation and
condemned the activities of the militant group,
MEND insisted: “Chief Clark lacks the moral
authority to lead a discussion on the so-called
“re-structuring” of the Nigerian Federation.
“At this critical point in the country’s history,
given the fact that, throughout the six years his
“son,” former President Goodluck Jonathan was in
power, the elder statesman kept mute and
actively participated in the economic
dismemberment of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“....None of the persons, who attended the
stakeholders' meeting convened by Chief Clark
and Governor Okowa have the capacity to
persuade the people of the Niger Delta to support
the current efforts of the Buhari administration to
bring peace and development to the region."
“Consequently, MEND re-iterates its full support
for the ongoing military presence in the Niger
Delta, even as we prepare to tour the region to
drum support for the current administration in an
exercise, code-named ‘Operation Moses.
“MEND shall continue to insist that so long as
these elders and stakeholders do not categorically
and publicly denounce the NDA, the Federal
Government should also continue to ignore them.”
Countering MEND, the leader of Asawana Deadly
Force of Niger Delta, ADFNG, Commander
Olomubini Kakarakokoro, said: “Our militant group
is in support of the genuine dialogue process
because of the personalities involved.
‘’We shall give peace a chance, but we promise to
carry out more destruction if this ongoing
negotiation fails.
“We also want our delegates to be present at
subsequent meetings. We want to thank Chief
Clark and our prominent monarchs for being in
attendance.”
Also, an ex-militants group, Niger Delta
Development Movement, NDDM, yesterday,
expressed support for the ongoing peace process
by Niger Delta leaders.
National President of NDDM, Mr Paul Toruwwei, in
statement: said, “The preparation for the peace
dialogue in Niger Delta is a good omen. We
wholeheartedly welcome the idea and we pay that
the outcome would be favourable to us in the
region.
‘’We, therefore, plead with all current militants in
the region to sheathe their swords and embrace
the peace process.” www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/air-force-deploy-fighter-jets-n-delta-naf-chief/ |
(1) (Reply)
Nigeria Is Changing And Even A Blind Man Can Attest To That-abubakar Inuwa Tata / Recession: Path To Economic Recovery- Vanguard / Economic Recession; Is It All About The Cause?
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 32 |