NAF to provide air support to police, other security agencies to curb kidnapping, armed banditry
- Nigerian security agencies are cooperating to address security challenges in the country
- The issue of kidnapping and armed banditry along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari axis is t the forefront
- The Nigerian Air Force is offering real time geospatial and imagery intelligence whilst making available its air assets
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reiterated its commitment to support the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies with real time geospatial and imagery intelligence whilst making available its air assets for the conduct of tactical air support missions and increasing the frequency of air reconnaissance along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari axis.
This is part of inter-agency cooperation to address security challenges in the country, especially the issue of kidnapping and armed banditry along the route.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, disclosed this on Wednesday, April 3, while playing host to the Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, and the Director General DSS (DG DSS), Yusuf Bichi, at Headquarters NAF, Abuja.
The IGP and DG DSS on arrival at HQ NAF immediately went into a closed door meeting with the CAS before undertaking a guided tour of facilities at the newly established, state-of- the-art Geospatial Intelligence Data Centre (GIDC) and Strategic Air Operations Centre (SAOC).
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Legit.ng gathered that the GIDC, which is equipped with high-tech computer hardware and software, was established to enhance the acquisition, analysis, interpretation and exploitation of imagery and geospatial information to provide actionable intelligence for the armed Ffrces and other security agencies.
On its part, the SAOC is expected to greatly enhance the coordination of air operations in support of internal security operations across the Country.
While inspecting the facilities, the Acting IGP expressed delight and satisfaction with the cutting edge technologies and sophisticated computer software at the centres.
He said the essence of the visit to the CAS was to explore possibilities of using NAF air assets and the products of the GIDC to improve the effectiveness of operations to deal with issue of kidnapping and armed banditry, especially along the Kaduna-Abuja highway and other parts of the country including Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kogi states.
According to him, as a result of the onslaught by security agencies against the armed bandits in Zamfara state, the criminals had moved towards the Abuja axis to carry out their nefarious activities.
His words: “I felt that as a security agency, we need to synergize with other security outfits. We don’t have the air capability but the NAF has them. With this we can have a joint operation to deal with this security issue.”
The IGP appreciated the CAS for making NAF air assets available for the operation and also availing the NPF and DSS of the capabilities of the GIDC and SAOC.
He also congratulated him for emplacing such facilities and making them available to other security agencies to enhance internal security operations for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
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Meanwhile, in a bid to further boost security in Nasarawa, the state government has allocated about 100 hectares of land to the Nigerian Air Force for the establishment of a NAF Base in Lafia.
This was made known on Monday, April 1, when the Nasarawa state governor, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, and other top government functionaries from the state, paid a courtesy call on Air Abubakar in his office at HQ NAF.
Speaking during the visit, Governor Al-Makura stated that he was at HQ NAF as a follow up to the various visits made by the CAS to Nasarawa state at the time the state was beset with security challenges.
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Source: Legit.ng
