We are making progress against banditry – CAS

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, said the military had substantially contained emerging banditry in some parts of the country in addition to the successes recorded in the fight against insurgency in the North East.

Abubakar said this on Tuesday in an interview with newsmen in Yola.

Abubakar was in Yola to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir with officers and men of the Air Task Force, engaged in the fight against insurgency in the north east.

He said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) would continue to motivate its personnel to boost their morale in the task of keeping Nigeria and the society safe.

“We are making progress and all hands most be on deck to address the challenges, particularly the new challenge of banditry,” he said.

According to him, the NAF has established the quick Response Units in some states to bring security closer to the people.

The CAS lauded Nigerians for their understanding and urged the public to do more in terms of volunteering timely relevant information to security agencies.

He noted that the provision of adequate and effective security information to relevant authorities was the obligation of all Nigerians.

“I want to emphasize that security is not just about security agencies; everybody has a role to play to ensure Nigeria is secured,” Abubakar said.

While reiterating the commitment of NAF to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria, the CAS lauded the Federal Government for doing a lot in equipping NAF in terms of aircraft and training to discharge its responsibility.

He lauded the performances of officers and men of the air task force, pointing out that his decision of always marking festive periods with them at the frontline was among others, to appreciate them and boost their morale to do more in discharging their assigned tasks.