BEVERLY HILLS, October 29, (THEWILL) – With only two months to the December presidential deadline given to the nation’s armed forces to wipe out Boko Haram, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar, Thursday, said the deadline is achievable.
Abubakar, stated this in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, while addressing journalists after decorating 15 newly-promoted NAF personnel involved in the anti-insurgency operations in the Northeast with their new ranks.
“We’re going to meet the President’s deadline. From what we have seen, it is possible to meet this deadline and we are working towards meeting that December deadline.
“You can see from the morale of the troop, it is very clear that they are willing to go in. We are doing everything humanly possible. Our objective is to make sure that the people in our towns and villages can sleep peacefully without fearing that anybody is going to come and set their house on fire and slit their throats,” Abubakar said.
He disclosed that 1,488 airstrikes have been conducted in the last two months in order to meet the December deadline, adding that the Air Force is always hovering over the Sambisa Forest, the stronghold of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.
He however confessed that the Air Force has been faced with many challenges in the battle against Boko Haram, saying : “There are a number of challenges. What I can tell you is that there are no challenges that we cannot succumb. Despite those challenges we have conducted
about 1,488 sorties (air strikes) in the last two months alone. We have conducted both air and interdiction and air close support and support of troops on ground move from one location and to another.
“This is done for us to have air surveillance so that members of the affected communities can go back to their houses and pursue their aspirations without any hindrance; after degrading the capacities of Boko Haram terrorists.”
According to Abubakar, “The air strikes are ongoing; as I address you now gentlemen of the press. We are intensifying and making sure that it is impossible for these terrorists to occupy our territory; and we are really making sure that we get them out from wherever they are now; before the deadline given by the President.”
