As part of efforts to support the fight against banditry in North-Western Nigeria, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday, August 16, deployed an additional 32 Special Forces(SF) operatives to Southern Kaduna. 

Their mission is to support Operation SAFE HAVEN being executed by the military to restore normalcy in the southern Kaduna.

Air Commodore Ibukun Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relation and Information disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.

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Daramola said the SF team, led by the commander of the 404 Force Protection Group (4040 FPG), Squadron Leader Richard Ngaro, was airlifted by NAF helicopter from the Kaduna base to Kafanchan.

According to the Director, the Forces were received by the commander of Sector 7 of Operation SAFE HAVEN, Colonel David Nwakonobi, to join the contingent of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) personnel already deployed to the area.

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The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Air Training Command, Kaduna, AVM Musa Mukhtar, said that the deployment was in response to the directive of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for NAF to support the ongoing operation.

Recall that some Special Force under the directives of the Defence Headquarters arrived at the region on Friday, August 14, Eons Intelligence reports.

The CAS charged the SF personnel to maintain the high level of discipline that the NAF is known for, whilst always upholding the NAF’s core values of ‘Integrity’, ‘Service before Self’ and ‘Excellence’ as they carry out their assigned tasks.

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He reminded them to ensure they respect the human rights and personal freedoms of all law-abiding citizens in the course of performing their duties. 

AVM Mukhtar said: “We are part of support element going to Southern Kaduna to support the Operation Safe Haven from the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces.

“I call on the troops to be discipline, remain focused and respect human rights as they go about their operations.

“We have Operation Thunder Strike which is domiciled in Kaduna to take care of the North West axis, this means the airpower will be originated from there.

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“We also intend to carry out our civil-military relation hopefully by next week and send a medical team from our hospitals.”

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“The deployment would last as long as necessary until lasting peace is restored. We also have Operation THUNDER STRIKE, which is domiciled in Kaduna to take care of the North West axis, with the Air Component Commander coordinating the airpower aspect from Kaduna in support of ground operations in Southern Kaduna”, he added.

He further disclosed that, as part of efforts to enhance Civil-Military relations, a NAF Medical Team would arrive Southern Kaduna in the next few days to conduct medical outreach to provide healthcare services to displaced persons and others affected by the crisis. 

The CAS called on the residents of Southern Kaduna to cooperate with the Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN and his troops by providing credible information that would facilitate the effective conduct of their operations.