By AGATHA N Uju,Correspondent, Abuja
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on Thursday vowed that the Nigerian Air Force will firmly secure and protect Nigeria’s vital oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta.
Air Marshal Aneke reaffirmed NAF’s commitment to safeguarding the facilities when he undertook a strategic operational visit to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he commissioned critical infrastructure projects, inspected key operational facilities.
The visit forms part of the CAS’s ongoing nationwide engagements aimed at strengthening operational readiness, improving personnel welfare, and assessing frontline capabilities across NAF units.
According to a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, during the visit to the 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG), the home of the Nigerian Air Force’s combat helicopters, Aneke commissioned newly constructed and renovated facilities including a modern briefing room complex and other building blocks designed to enhance operational planning, command coordination, and administrative efficiency.
He also inspected critical operational infrastructure including the runway and apron VIP areas, the aircraft hangar, and the Nigerian Air Force Hospital, emphasising that “modern and functional infrastructure remain essential to sustaining high operational standards and effective mission execution”.
The statement noted that as part of Aneke’s engagements in the State, the Chief of the Air Staff paid a maiden courtesy visit to the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, where he expressed appreciation for the State Government’s sustained support to the Nigerian Air Force presence in Rivers State.
The CAS particularly acknowledged the State Government’s contributions, including the handover of an Agusta 139 helicopter to the Nigerian Air Force, the rehabilitation and resurfacing of the runway and aprons at NAF Base Port Harcourt, the issuance of the Certificate of Occupancy for the Base, and the provision of two blocks of twelve two-bedroom residential accommodation units for NAF personnel.
According to the CAS, “these interventions have significantly strengthened the Air Force’s operational readiness and its capacity to respond effectively to emerging security challenges within the Niger Delta region”.
In his response, Governor Fubara reaffirmed the Rivers State Government’s commitment to sustaining its partnership with the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies in ensuring peace and stability within the State.
He commended the Nigerian Air Force for its critical role in protecting strategic national assets and combating economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, noting that “security remains a prerequisite for economic growth and development”.
The governor assured the CASof his administration’s continued support in strengthening the operational presence of the Nigerian Air Force in Rivers State, adding that “the collaboration between the State Government and the Service will continue to contribute to safeguarding lives, protecting critical infrastructure, and advancing the prosperity of the State and the nation”.
Addressing officers, airmen and airwomen during a durbar at the Base, the CAS reiterated his command philosophy: “to enhance and sustain a highly motivated, professional, and mission-ready force capable of delivering decisive airpower effects in synergy with surface forces for the realisation of national security objectives.”
He noted that personnel welfare remains central to operational effectiveness, stressing that “the Nigerian Air Force is accelerating accommodation and infrastructure development across its bases nationwide to address housing deficits and improve the living and working conditions of its personnel”.
Air Marshal Aneke also commended the leadership and personnel of 115 Special Operations Group for their operational achievements, noting that the Unit executed 495 missions in 2025 in support of counter–illegal bunkering operations, protection of critical oil infrastructure, and other national security tasks.
He urged personnel to remain vigilant and continue to “fly smart” by ensuring that all operations are anchored on timely and actionable intelligence, emphasising that every mission must be purposeful and deliver measurable operational results in safeguarding Nigeria’s economic assets.
