By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded one of its most successful operational years, neutralising 2,351 terrorists through 274 Air Interdiction (AI) missions flown in 379 combat sorties across multiple theatres in 2025.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ejodame said the Air Interdiction (AI) missions targeted terrorist strongholds, logistics hubs, training camps, and critical mobility corridors.

He said the figures excluded hundreds of additional airpower missions involving Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), close air support to surface forces, and armed reconnaissance operations.

According to him, the AI missions alone accumulated approximately 800 flight hours, underscoring the NAF’s sustained reach, persistence, and operational dominance.

“Beyond the immediate neutralisation of terrorist fighters, the air interdiction campaign delivered decisive operational effects across key threat corridors.

“Sustained precision strikes disrupted supply chains, severed mobility routes, and degraded leadership structures linking terrorist enclaves in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions, denying hostile elements freedom of movement and sanctuary.

“These effects enabled surface forces to advance, reclaim contested areas, and stabilise vulnerable communities, while significantly reducing the operational tempo and morale of terrorist and bandit groups.

“Overall, the campaign has resulted in a measurable contraction of hostile networks and a marked improvement in security across several previously threatened areas,” he said.

In the maritime and energy security domain, Ejodame said that precision air operations in the Niger Delta delivered equally strategic dividends.

He said that targeted strikes led to the destruction of hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks, and several boats used by oil thieves and criminal syndicates.

These actions, according to him, substantially degraded the capacity of illicit actors to finance violence and organised crime, contributed to improved oil production, and reinforced national economic resilience.

Ejodame said the success of those missions further highlighted the expanding role of air power in safeguarding critical national assets and supporting Nigeria’s economic recovery.

Commenting on the operational outcomes, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed NAF’s resolve to maintain relentless pressure on all threats to national security.

According to him, the outcomes recorded in 2025 clearly demonstrate the growing precision, effectiveness, and lethality of Nigerian Air Force air power.

“These results were made possible through intelligence-driven targeting, improved platform availability, enhanced crew proficiency, and seamless integration with surface forces and other security agencies,” he said.

The CAS further attributed these gains to the sustained support of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, noting that deliberate investments in modern air platforms, personnel welfare, training, infrastructure, and enabling policies have been critical to the NAF’s enhanced operational readiness.

He emphasised that strong political will, strategic guidance, and consistent funding have positioned the NAF to deliver credible air power in support of national security objectives.

Looking ahead, Aneke assured Nigerians that the Service will intensify kinetic air operations in 2026, while continuing to uphold strict adherence to Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law.

He reassured that the NAF would remain relentless and decisive in taking the fight to all enemies of the Nigerian state, adding that criminal and terrorist elements will find no safe haven anywhere within our borders.

He further urged misguided elements to renounce violence and embrace peace, warning that those who persist will continue to face precise and overwhelming air power.

The air chief reassures citizens that the protection of civilians remains central to its operations, with continuous improvements in intelligence validation, targeting processes, and mission oversight to minimise collateral damage.

“Nigerians are encouraged to remain vigilant, support security agencies with timely and credible information, and maintain confidence in the Armed Forces’ commitment to restoring lasting peace, stability, and national prosperity,” he added. (NAN)