- Governor Umar Bago urged Nigerian Air Force not to tire in fighting insurgents after the surveillance jet incident
- Bago requested the air chief to deploy fighter planes to Minna airport for rapid response against enemies’ advances
Following the Monday incident in which a surveillance jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force was brought down by criminals, Niger State Governor Umar Bago on Tuesday appealed to the Nigerian Air Force not to grow tired of fighting insurgents in the state.
Bago made the appeal during a condolence visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, at NAF headquarters in Abuja. He urged the air chief to dispatch a detachment and fighter planes to Minna airport for immediate intervention whenever enemies advanced.
The governor, who also expressed his condolences to the military high command for the loss of some land troops to the enemy, assured NAF that the state government was ready to provide accommodations for air force personnel in Minna near the airport.
Your deployment of both fighter jets and UAVs have been very apt and helpful to the ground troops and our own local vigilantes. But like Oliver Twist, we need more.
I have come here to say Minna airport was created as a backup for Abuja airport and we have the longest runways in Nigeria. We’re calling on you to please send some detachment and some fighter planes to Minna, so that we can have more rapid responses from when they are very close instead of flying from either Kainji or Kaduna.
Let me at this juncture say thank you for giving us this time, and to say that Niger State government will support you anywhere you are. We are happy with what you’re doing and we’re behind you and we will support you.
Our people have also asked me to tell you that we can actually give you accommodations if you can bring people. We will provide accommodations that are very close to airport in Minna to come and stay in Minna because we need your protection, Bago told air chief during the meeting.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that at least 20 soldiers were killed in an ambush by bandits along the Zungeru-Tegina Road in Niger State late Sunday night.
Seven other soldiers and five vigilantes were shot with varying degrees of severity and taken to the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna, the state capital.
Speaking before the meeting, the governor, who first ordered a minute of silence for the departed souls, explained that the State’s difficult terrains, such as mountains and hills, provided the impetus for non-state actors to continue perpetrating their evils.
Before I proceed, I crave your indulgence for us to observe a minute silence for the souls of the departed. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
Your Excellency, the Chief of Air Staff, on behalf of the people and government of Niger State, we have come today to you with three issues.
One, to commiserate and condole with you over the death of your men and soldiers at Niger State the day before yesterday (Sunday). The crash happened within the mountain of Shiroro. We deeply sympathize with you.
We also sympathize with Nigerian military over the loses recorded in the ambush that happened in Wushishi which eventually brought about the evacuation by your own chopper that crashed.
Secondly to thank you very much for what you have been doing. The Air Force has done so much for us as a people. You have supported Niger State in the fight against insurgency and banditry. I want to say don’t be tired. Thank you very much for what you’ve been doing, the governor said.