The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has issued a strong vow to take decisive and ruthless action in the fight against insurgency and the elimination of criminal elements in Nigeria. He emphasized that the era of treating criminal elements with leniency is over.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony of 628 Officers and Airmen/Women of the year 2023 at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Air Marshal Abubakar stressed the importance of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operating optimally to address the prevailing insecurity in the country.
He urged the graduates to serve as good ambassadors of the NAF and play their part in helping rid the country of criminal activities. Abubakar also praised President Bola Tinubu for his consistent support of the Armed Forces, especially the Nigerian Air Force, which he credited with the current level of operational successes.
In his words, “Let me reiterate here that the era of treating criminal elements in our country with kids’ gloves is over. We must continue on this trajectory until we bring all of them to their knees. Therefore, as you rejoin the mainstream workforce of the Nigerian Air Force, your contributions would be instrumental to our collective efforts to sustain and even surpass the current intensity of air operations until we completely rid our country of all forms of criminalities.”
The Air Force Institute of Technology is a military university with a mandate to train military and civilian students in aerospace, defense, engineering, and related fields. It plays a significant role in enhancing the technical manpower of the NAF.
The Commandant of AFIT, Air Vice Marshal Sani Rabe, highlighted the institute’s commitment to producing quality technical manpower for the NAF. He noted that despite its expanding mandate, AFIT has remained focused on its primary role and continues to meet the NAF’s skilled manpower requirements.
The graduation ceremony included the completion of various training programs, including the Initial Officers’ Course and various Basic and Advanced/Intermediate Upgrading Courses.