By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s war against terrorism moved to the skies yesterday as the Nigerian Air Force declared airpower would spearhead the new offensive sweeping across Kwara and adjoining states.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, made the declaration during an operational visit to the 303 Composite Group of the Air Force in Ilorin hours before joining defence chiefs to launch Operation Savannah Shield.
Inspecting aircraft, maintenance hangars and mission facilities, the Air Chief told personnel that modern counterterrorism operations would now rely heavily on precision air dominance.
“Airpower gives speed, reach and precision. When intelligently applied, it becomes a decisive force multiplier,” he said.
Aneke warned officers and airmen that readiness must become a daily culture, not a ceremonial standard.
He stressed that aircraft must remain serviceable, intelligence must be actionable and personnel must stay mission-focused at all times.
The Air Force, he promised, would receive stronger logistics, training and welfare support to maintain rapid response capability.
Addressing troops during a durbar, the Air Chief said asymmetric warfare had changed the battlefield, requiring flexible air strategies and closer cooperation with ground forces and other security agencies.
He charged personnel to sustain morale, discipline and vigilance as operations intensify.
The visit climaxed with the formal launch of Operation Savannah Shield led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
The operation combines direct military strikes with intelligence and community-based security measures aimed at long-term stability.
At the ceremony, the Operations Commander received operational insignia while the theatre flag was handed to the Theatre Commander signalling the start of coordinated joint operations.
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq praised the military intervention, saying it had already reassured vulnerable communities.
He pledged continued cooperation with security agencies to consolidate peace.
The Air Chief ended with a blunt assurance that criminals would find no refuge from aerial surveillance.
“We will dominate the airspace, provide persistent surveillance and deliver precise air support wherever required,” he said.
Military authorities say sustained air presence and intelligence-driven missions will now underpin efforts to secure communities and restore stability across the region.
