Group praises NAF raid on criminals and bandits

Nigerian Focus, a peace advocacy organisation, applauded recent operations by the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) against oil thieves and bandits, calling them a significant milestone in the country’s fight against crime and banditry.

The group’s president, Gbolahan Aguda, praised the new chief of the air staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, in a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja for his inspiring leadership since taking office and for demonstrating sincere efforts to foster inter-service cooperation.

In addition to combating oil thieves in the Niger Delta and compelling bandits in the North West to seek peace, he claimed that the NAF had also eliminated a number of ISWAP terrorists in the North East.

He said that on July 29, at Jibularam and Kwalaram in the North-East, a series of airstrikes carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai resulted in the deaths of the terrorists.

“From July 28 to July 29, airstrikes carried out by Operation Hadarin Daji’s air component in various places in the Zurmi, Tsafe, Faskari, and Jibia Local Government Areas in Zamfara and Katsina States killed 16 rebels.

“On July 17, air strikes carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised around 22 terrorists loyal to the deceased infamous terrorists’ mastermind Alhaji Abdulkareen Lawal, alias Abdulkareen Boss.

The air trikes were conducted in the Katsina State local governments of Jibia and Batsari, according to Aguda.

Additionally, he claimed that NAF Special Forces on Sunday freed seven kidnapped victims in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, and that the resumption of airstrikes against oil thieves was a positive move that would put an end to criminals’ economic sabotage.

“We congratulate the CAS and the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) for the activities on August 5 at approximately 4 nautical miles south-east of Bille, a riverine location situated west of Bonny Island.

“This resulted in the destruction of three boats that were seen obtaining crude oil from an illegal refinery with tanks and reservoirs filled with suspected illicitly refined products, located about 4 miles to the southeast of Idama in the Rivers.

“Nigerian Focus takes this opportunity to applaud the CAS for his outstanding performance and his order to air component commanders to coordinate with other security agencies as they carry out airstrikes against all criminal elements in the nation.