By Augustine Aminu
Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has honored five of its personnel that recently lost their lives in a tragic accident while en route to represent Nigeria at the African Military Games 2024 in Abuja.
At a Fourth Quarter Route March exercise conducted on Saturday across all NAF formations in the country, a sombre tone was played as the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Abubakar Hasan led attendees in a mark of honor for the five NAF personnel.
A minute of silence was observed in their memory, underscoring the sacrifices of NAF personnel in service to the nation, as the CAS assured that the NAF would forever remember its fallen heroes and stand by the families they left behind.
A statement issued at the weekend by Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information noted that the nationwide event saw personnel from various units engaging in a coordinated show of physical fitness, mental resilience, and unity, reinforcing the NAF’s operational readiness.
Speaking in Abuja, the CAS who was also the Guest of Honour, stressed the critical importance of physical and mental preparedness for all personnel, especially given Nigeria’s dynamic security challenges. The CAS reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to rigorous training, which was in consonance with one of the key enablers of his Command Philosophy, namely “Deliberate Training and Mission-oriented Force Development”. This, he said, speaks eloquently to the CAS strategic intent to develop and sustain optimal operational effectiveness in the NAF.
Air Marshal Abubakar further highlighted plans to upgrade NAF sporting facilities, including constructing a state-of-the-art gym at the NAF Special Operations Command and refurbishing existing gyms across all units.
He encouraged weekly participation in sporting activities to foster fitness, teamwork, and talent discovery, noting that youth competitions are in the works to engage young people in NAF bases and uncover hidden talents.
“The NAF remains steadfast in providing essential resources and training to support personnel in all operational tasks. The exercise concluded with a solemn reminder to maintain vigilance, adaptability, and resilience amid evolving security demands. As part of activities that marked the event, the NAF male volleyball team was congratulated on topping the National Division 1 Volleyball League, leading to its promotion to the Premier League,” the NAF statement read in part.