The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal (AM) Sadique Abubakar said that 94 Special Forces (SF) and 35 personnel had been trained at the Air Force Regimental Training Centre (RTC) Annex, Bauchi.

Abubakar said this over Eid el-Fitr lunch with troops of the Air Component, “Operation Hadarin Daji” at the 213 forward operation base in Katsina on Monday.

He explained that the gesture was in line with his vision to build capacity for the service with a view to tackling the present security challenges as well as the emerging ones in the country.

“In the past four and the half years, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has taken giant strides by inducting new platforms and reactivating grounded ones.

“The service has also trained many pilots, engineers, technicians, more especially the Regiment Specialty and SF personnel,” he said.

The Air Chief said that he was happy to be in Katsina to wine and dine with the troops on the occasion of Eid-el Fitr in the mission area.

Abubakar said that the gesture had become the tradition since he assumed office as Air Chief in order to further strengthen the affinity and oneness in the NAF family.

He charged officers and men of the service to take responsibility against COVID-19, advising that face masks should be worn at all times while personnel should maintain physical distancing at public gatherings.

The Air Chief thanked Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari and the people of the state for their support to NAF since the establishment of the 213 Forward Operating Base in the state.

In a remark, Wing Commander Bashir Abubakar, the Commander of the base, thanked the chief of air staff, the state’s governor, and people of the state for their tremendous support to the unit and troops deployed to fight bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers, and armed robbers in the area.