NAF Activates Emergency Response Teams in Benue News

NAF

NAF Activates Emergency Response Teams in
Benue
… Provides Additional Personnel Accommodation in
Bauchi

In continuation of efforts to enhance operational responsiveness
and effectiveness of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the Chief of the
Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has activated the 21
Quick Response Wing (21 QRW) at Agatu in Benue State. The unit,
which is under the control of the 211 Quick Response Group Owerri,
was established to further enhance NAF’s ability to respond to
internal security threats within the Nasarawa-Benue States
corridor, working in synergy with other security agencies. While in
Agatu, the CAS also inspected the renovated office and residential
accommodation at the 21 QRW Base and handed over a borehole
constructed by the NAF to the Obagaji Community in Agatu. The CAS,
who was accompanied by the Air Officer Commanding Special
Operations Command (AOC SOC), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Samson Akpasa,
and other senior officers from NAF Headquarters, was received in
Agatu by the Chairperson Agatu Local Government Area (LGA),
Honourable Comfort Echida, as well as the traditional ruler of
Agatu, Chief Dr Godwin Ngbede.

Speaking during the activation ceremony, the CAS stated that he
was delighted to be in Agatu to personally activate the 21 QRW. He
noted that the decision to establish the QRW in Agatu, as well as
the QRWs established at Nguroje in Taraba State and Doma in
Nasarawa State, was taken following thorough analysis of the threat
environment in the area. Based on this, a request was made to the
Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Armed Forces of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, through the
Honourable Minister of Defence (HMOD), who graciously approved the
establishment of the unit. The CAS therefore thanked the C-in-C for
approving the establishment of the unit and providing the necessary
resources to make it a reality. He noted that the establishment of
the unit would contribute immensely towards curbing spate of
attacks in the area while ensuring that peace is sustained.

Speaking further, the CAS stressed that the NAF would continue
to emplace additional facilities, equipment and manpower in the QRW
to enable it function effectively and fulfil its mandate. He noted
that the ultimate aim was to have at least 500 Special Forces
personnel in the unit along with complements of support personnel
from other NAF specialties. He also mentioned that NAF would
eventually construct a Helipad in the Base to enable the deployment
of helicopter gunships to support operations in the area, whenever
required. The CAS therefore assured the Chairperson Agatu LGA, the
traditional ruler of Agatu and other members of the community that
the NAF would continue to do its best to add value to the place. To
this end, he announced that the NAF would conduct a 7-day medical
outreach for members of the host community in Agatu, which would
cater for their medical and minor surgical needs while major
surgical cases would be referred to the NAF Hospital in Makurdi
with adequate arrangements made for medical evacuation.

Air Marshal Abubakar pledged that the NAF would eventually set
up a well-equipped Medical Centre at the 21 QRW that would provide
free medical services to the host community. He however requested
the continued support of the traditional ruler, community leaders
and all members of the community to provide much needed
intelligence that would facilitate the conduct of operations to
counter threats in the area. He urged them to interact freely with
the CO and personnel of 21 QRW who had been tasked to provide
necessary support to the host community. While handing over the
automated borehole system with 9,000 litres storage capacity and 16
tap heads to the Chairperson Agatu LGA and the traditional ruler of
Agatu, the CAS noted that the NAF had provided a generator and
would also provide fuel to keep the borehole running.
The CAS had earlier commissioned the second and final phase of the
modernization and expansion of the water supply system in NAF Base
Makurdi. Conducting the CAS round the facility, the AOC Tactical
Air Command, AVM Oladayo Amao, stated that the first phase of the
project was executed by Direct Labour in January while the second
phase was executed under the 2017 capital projects. The project
increased the reservoir capacity from 900,000 litres to 1.35
Million litres with the construction of an additional 450,000
litres sedimentation tank. It also entailed the fabrication and
installation of surface and overhead tanks to increase the total
capacity to 2.45 Million litres. The reticulation pipes within the
Base were also replaced, boosting the water supply by 100 percent.
The CAS also commissioned the Battery Charging and Maintenance Bay
at the 131 Engineering Group, which had been remodelled and
renovated to ensure safer and more efficient conduct of maintenance
activities in the Group.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force

…………………………….
NAF Provide more Staff Accomodation in
Bauchi

In line with its commitment to continually enhance the welfare
of its personnel for effective and efficient service delivery, the
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) commissioned 2 additional furnished blocks
of 6 x one bedroom flats of single officers’ accommodation at the
NAF Base Bauchi. With the commissioning, the drive of the current
NAF leadership to increase accommodation sufficiency for personnel,
especially those serving in the North East, has been given a
further boost.

Speaking during the commissioning, the Guest of Honour, the
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar,
represented by the Chief of Administration, Headquarters NAF, Air
Vice Marshal Kingsley Lar, stated that the project was geared
towards enhancing the welfare of personnel to enable them focus on
their duties and contribute more meaningfully in adding value to
the Service. While congratulating the beneficiaries of the new
accommodation, the CAS enjoined them to make the best use of the
facilities and also ensure its proper maintenance at all times. Air
Marshal Abubakar also seized the opportunity to thank the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for the continued support that
had enabled the NAF record numerous remarkable feats within the
past 3 years.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Commander 251 Base Services
Group Bauchi, Group Captain Mohammed Aliyu, expressed appreciation
to the CAS, under whose visionary leadership the NAF has been
soaring to greater heights. According to him, the newly
commissioned project would further reduce the burden of
accommodation on the Base. Dignitaries at the commissioning
ceremony included the representative the Bauchi State Governor and
Special Adviser on Security, Brigadier General Yusuf Ladan retired
as well as the Commandant Nigerian Army Armoured School and
Comptroller Nigeria Immigration Service Bauchi State, among others.
It would be recalled that the NAF had, in July this year, also
commissioned 2 blocks of Commanders’ Quarters, one block of 6 x 2
bedroom Married Senior Non-Commissioned Officers’ (NCOs) Quarters,
one block of 10 x single room NCOs’ accommodation in NAF Base
Bauchi to boost the morale of troops engaged in the counter
terrorism operations in the North East and other internal security
operations across the country.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force