Air Force spends N343m to fuel alpha jets for anti-insurgency operations

by Azeez Adeniyi

The Nigerian Air Force has said it spent about N343m to fuel alpha jets used for the fight against insurgency in the North East in the first quarter of 2017.

Commander of the air component, Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore Charles Ohwo, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Yola, Adamawa State.

Ohwo said the troops flew for 1,486 hours and 26 minutes in no fewer the 701 missions within the quarter.

[Read Also: AIR FORCE DESTROYS BOKO HARAM LOGISTICS BASE IN SAMBISA FOREST]

Ohwo added that 1,227,982 litres of fuel was used during the missions.

He assures that the ongoing assault against Boko Haram insurgents will be sustained.

He said, “Despite dislodging the insurgents from their last known place at Camp Zairo, Intelligence and Surveillance Reconnaissance footages showed that the terrorists had relocated from Sambisa to the west, while others moved eastwards towards Gwoza and Tagoshe. We concentrated our ISR activities to these areas to decimate the terrorists.

“In the quarter under review, we went on 701 missions, flew for 1,486 hours and 26 minutes. We went for 974 sorties and expended 1,227,982 litres of fuel. The cost of fuel for the alpha jet is N280 per litre. The total cost of fuel used was N343,834,960.

[Read Also: AIR FORCE BOMBS BOKO HARAM CAMP IN NORTHERN BORNO (WATCH)]

“The air component has continued to play its roles in the northeast operations, which included Closed Air Support, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Armed Reece and Armed Escort and Tactical Airlift.  We assisted the 3 Division in Damaturu, 7 Division in Buni Yadi and 8 Task Force Division in Monguno to conduct operations to rout the Boko Haram terrorists who fled from the Sambisa Forest.

“We were at Talala, Bama, Dikwa, Damboa, Mubi and Gwoza in joint operations with ground troops. We also held operations with the Multinational Joint Task Force codenamed, Operation Gama Aiki.”

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