Chief Of Air Staff Charges Troops To Sustain Joint Air-Ground Strikes Against Terrorists, Reinforces Frontline Morale In Makurdi

Chief Of Air Staff Charges Troops To Sustain Joint Air-Ground Strikes Against Terrorists, Reinforces Frontline Morale In Makurdi

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on 6 April 2026 hosted personnel of the Air Component, Operation WHIRL STROKE (AC OPWS), to a special Easter luncheon in Makurdi aimed at reinforcing frontline morale while sustaining the momentum of ongoing joint air-ground operations. The CAS described Easter as a solemn period symbolising sacrifice, discipline, and spiritual renewal, values that resonate strongly with the ethos of military service. He paid glowing tribute to the gallant men and women of AC OPWS and the wider Armed Forces of Nigeria, noting that their courage, professionalism, and unwavering dedication remain central to recent operational gains and continue to inspire confidence in the Armed Forces’ ability to restore peace and security.

Represented by the Chief of Medical Services, Air Vice Marshal Ikechukwu Ogbodo, the CAS reaffirmed that the Nigerian Air Force, in close synergy with sister services and other security agencies, remains resolute, proactive, and unyielding in ongoing operations against bandits and terrorist elements. He disclosed that the Service has intensified intelligence-driven air campaigns through sustained precision strikes, close air support, armed reconnaissance, and interdiction missions that continue to disrupt enemy logistics, dismantle command structures, and deny hostile elements freedom of movement across the theatre. He added that recent gains recorded within the joint operations area are a direct reflection of troop professionalism, effective joint synergy, and the NAF’s deliberate investment in advanced combat platforms, attack helicopters, surveillance systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and precision-guided munitions designed to dominate the battlespace and deny terrorists the opportunity to regroup.

The CAS further noted that the NAF will continue to prioritise civil-military cooperation and troop welfare initiatives as critical enablers of morale and sustained mission focus. Earlier, the Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal Micheal Ekwueme, described the luncheon as a strategic morale-building engagement that reinforces comradeship and operational synergy within the Joint Operations Area. In a separate remark, the Air Component Commander, Operation WHIRL STROKE, Wing Commander OO Evulobi, assured the CAS that personnel remain fully committed to sustaining the current operational tempo and delivering decisive airpower effects in support of surface forces. The engagement once again underscored the people-centric leadership of the CAS and his commitment to sustaining a highly motivated, professional, and mission-ready force.