Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Alex Barde yesterday disclosed
that the Nigerian Air force will today commence the deployment of
Nigeria war planes to check the activities of Islamist fighters in Mali.
Barde
who stated this in Enugu when he paid his maiden visit to Enugu
Airforce Unit, added that the action was in compliance with President
Goodluck Jonathan’s directive that a military contingent be sent to
assist the country of Mali to contain the jihadists liked to terror
group, Al Qaeda.
He said: “As I speak to you now,” he said, “our
air planes have arrived in Port-Harcourt. In fact, I’m on my way to
Rivers State now and tomorrow morning we are beginning our deployment to
Mali and that’s what I am going to witness.
“I am going there to bid them a sort of farewell and go-and-fight-well greetings as they depart.
“We
expect them to do what Mr. President directed that we do; he has
directed that we should go and assist Mali in repelling the jihad
fighters there because you know that if they finish with Mali the next
thing will be to come to Nigeria.
“So we are going there to fight them and also protect our borders.
He explained that his maiden visit to Enugu unit was to talk to them on his vision for the Nigeria Air Force.
According
to him, “We must use innovative technology because we have spent so
much money buying equipment and each time they are bad we have to send
them to the manufacturers for repairs. We have the know how, we have the
personnel; we have professionals in the Airforce and we cannot too
continue buying and not repairing.”
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