The Nigerian Air Force has released the promotion of its senior officers to the next higher ranks. The newly promoted officers include 14 Air Vice Marshals, 26 Air Commodores, 22 Group Captains and 91 Wing Commanders.

Those promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal are the: Chief of Aircraft Engineering at the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Onyemaechi Osahor; Director of Works at the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Shehu Adamu; Director Air Intelligence at the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman; Principal Air Staff Officer to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Abdul-Wahab; Commander 75 Strike Group Yola, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao; Commander 303 Flying Training School Kano, Air Vice Marshal John Baba; Commander 81 Air Maritime Group Benin, Air Vice Marshal Okechukwu Ntukogu; a Directing Staff at the National Defence College, Air Vice Marshal Humphrey Okpala; Commander 203 Medium Airlift Group Ilorin, Air Vice Marshal Yekeen Ishola; Director of Information Communication Technology at the National Defence College, Air Vice Marshal Christian Dii; the Managing Director Nigerian Air Force Housing and Construction Company, Air Vice Marshal Sambo Usman; Commander 335 Base Services Group Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal Auwal Muhammad; Director Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency, Air Vice Marshal Charles Otegbade, and Commander 333 Logistics Group Kaduna, Air Vice Marshal Isyaka Bukar.

The senior officers elevated to the rank of Air Commodore include Group Captains Emmanuel Udenyi, Aliyu Bello, Iboro Etukudo, Chiebonam Ozougwu, Abidemi Marquis, Abubakar Liman, Pius Oahimire, Kabiru Aliyu, Ubrufih Uzezi, Nkem Aguiyi, Sule Lawal and Paul Masiyer. Others are Group Captains Isah Muhammad, Kurotimi Obidake, Dalhat Ladan, Adeniyi Amesinlola, Olagoke Ogunmola, Raheem Tijani, Obainana Imafidor, Framah Batnah, John Dibal, Mohammed Sini, Barisi Keenam, Sunday Ogba, Habib Adamu and Emma Enam.

NAF Director of Public Relations & Information, Air CommodoreDele Alonge, said yesterday in a statement: “The recent promotions are in line with one of the key drivers of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar’s vision which is to promote and inculcate the core values of integrity, excellence and service delivery. As an annual exercise, the purpose of promotion is to encourage officers to rededicate themselves to assigned duties as well as the development of the Nigerian Air Force and the nation as a whole.”

•Photo shows Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.