TheNewsGuru

Tag: naf

  • Rann Bombing: We’ll do everything possible to avert future plane crashes – NAF

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Wednesday, promised to make everything possible within its capacity to avert future plane crashes.

    The Chief of Air Staff, (CAS) Air Mashal Sadique Abubakar, made the promise while addressing journalists in Abuja on the series of plane crashes experienced by NAF.

    Abubakar said that Dornia 228 aircraft crashed on Aug. 29, 2015, shortly after taking off from Kaduna military airfield, adding that NAF lost the pilots and the passengers on board.

    “It was a tragic day not only for the families but also for all of us in NAF and the country at large.

    “Immediately after the incidence, we set up a board of investigation, headed by AVM Samson Akpassa.

    The board conducted its local investigation and had to go to USA as part of investigation to really know the causes of the crash,” he said.

    Abubakar explained further that mere looking at the engine of the aircraft and as observed by the board, showed that it was actually the fault of the manufacturing company from the United States of America.

    He also said that at the end of the day, the board wrote a report and forwarded to the president of the board, which showed that there was no engine problem.

    “Looking at the nature of the crash and all the factors surrounding that tragic incidence, the board has come out with its conclusion that, what happened was a human error.

    “This is a phenomenon in flying, sometimes it happens, when you go into the air, some time some of these issues come up,” Abubakar said.

    He also said that NAF officers were undergoing training both within and outside the country to avoid future plane crashes.

    The CAS also said that the F 7 NAF plane craft in 2016 and that of Agusta 101 NAF helicopter in Makurdi, Benue, were being investigated.

    Abubakar promised to make the outcome of the investigations to the public to when ready.

    “We have actually sent parts of the aircraft for investigation and some of our pilots are involved in UK and Cannada as well as USA.As soon as we gather the facts, we will make them public,” he said.

    Abubakar expressed regret the unfortunate incidence that happened in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs Camp) in Ran, Maiduguri where scores of IDPs were feared dead.

    According to him, NAF will make the outcome of the investigation on the issue known to the public, as soon as it is ready.

     

     

    NAN

  • We wrote FG to handover armoured helicopters to NAF – Wike

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said he officially wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari to handover the two armoured helicopters bought by the immediate past administration in the state to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF.

    Wike explained that he wrote the letter following the high custom duty charged for the helicopters and the refusal of the Federal Government to grant the Rivers State Government the waiver to clear the two armoured helicopters.

    This was revealed in a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media and obtained exclusively by TheNewsGuru.com.

    The governor said that it was unfortunate that Security Agencies would resort to political propaganda and outright lies, when the facts of the two armoured helicopters are public knowledge.

    The statement reads in part: “These helicopters were imported by the immediate past administration. When I assumed office, we wrote to the Federal Government that it was strictly for security use. What am I going to use armoured helicopters for?

    “In any case, where will the Rivers State Government get money at this time to import armoured helicopters? The previous administration imported it because they had the money.

    “I went to the Federal Government to give me a waiver for us to clear the helicopters, but the Federal Government refused.

    “I wrote a letter to the President and to assure him that the helicopters are meant for security purposes, it should be handed over to the Nigerian Air Force “.

    The governor added: “I am surprised that they have started propaganda and political falsehood on the said armoured helicopters. What kind of country are they turning Nigeria into?

    “We stated that we cannot pay the custom duties because the helicopters are not for commercial use. They are to be used to monitor the creeks and track criminals.

    “I wrote to the President to give the helicopters to the Airforce. It is shocking that the custom would turn around to claim that they impounded the helicopters. The Chief of Staff to the President admitted that I have done well when I wrote the letter to the President “.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi in December 2012 announced the payment of two helicopters for security surveillance.

  • Customs donate unclaimed N9.7bn helicopters to NAF to fight Boko Haram

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over a two civil model Bell Helicopters transported into the country by yet to be identified person/company which was subsequently seized at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on November 7, 2016, to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to assist in the fight against insurgence.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the helipcopters were forfeited to the NCS after several weeks that it was unclaimed.

    Customs Area Controller, Mr. Frank Allanah, who made the disclosure on Friday, put the import duty value of the helicopters and their accessories – 23 packages weighing 11,475 kg – at N9,757,135,240.86k.

    He said the choppers have been handed over to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to assist in fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

    The service explained that the unknown importer failed to produce end user certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in contravention of Section 36 (2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act.

    Allanah added that the helicopters were flown in as a consignment with Airway Bill Number 17232444403 through the airport in Lagos.

    He recalled that oficials who examined the consignment found two civil models 412 EP of serial numbers 36608 and 36606 Bell Helicopters respectively, in standard configuration.

    The choppers were impounded and detained at the Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) pending fulfillment of all legal requirements for the importation which the owners never failed to produce.

  • NAMA pledges training support for NAF personnel

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has pledged to continue to support the Nigerian Air Force in the training of critical manpower, especially in the area of air traffic control.

    The Managing Director of the agency, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, made the pledge while receiving a delegation from the Air Warfare Department of the Command and Staff College, Jaji in Lagos on Monday.

    Akinkuotu said that the safety and security of the nation’s airspace depended largely on the capacity of critical personnel of both the Nigerian Air Force and NAMA.

    “This civil/military synergy and cooperation over the years have ensured that we have a robust capacity to manage our airspace.

    “This has remained safe and secure for efficient and seamless air navigation by both civil and military authorities,’’ he said.

    The NAMA boss also commended the Nigerian Air Force for providing security around the agency’s navigational aids in airports nationwide, adding that this had ensured that the nation’s critical assets are not vandalised or destroyed.

    Earlier, the leader of the team, Air Commodore Abubakar Liman, said the visit was to expose students of the college to the practical application of the basic management principles acquired in the classroom.

    Liman said the exposure was to make the analytical comparison between a typical military unit and a civil organisation performing complementing roles for a better-organised military and a more secured nation.

    He expressed optimism that with the quality of operational exposure participants would get from NAMA, the middle-class officers would be better equipped to handle higher responsibilities after graduation.

  • Photos: NAF deploys to Senegal, set to sack Gambia’s president, Jammeh

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal as part of Nigerian contingent of Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG) – a standby force tasked by ECOWAS Heads of State to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in the The Gambia.


    The NAF today moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where it is expected to operate into Gambia.

    The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia.

    Addressing the contingent before departure, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar urged the troops to maintain discipline and be professional in their conduct.

    Reminding them to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, the CAS stated that no act of indiscipline by the contingent would be tolerated.

    The contingent, led by Air Cdre Tajudeen Yusuf, was airlifted this morning from 117 Air Combat Training Group Kainji. Other troop contributing countries include Senegal, Ghana and countries within the sub-region.

  • NAF launches aerial patrol over sambisa, other troubled areas in Kaduna

    The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified aerial patrol over the sambisa forest in a renewed effort to deny the insurgents, who might have escaped the latest onslaught, from regrouping.

    A statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa, and made available to newsmen in Abuja noted that the aerial patrol is against the insurgents from regrouping.

    “The over 60,000km forest is being painstakingly patrolled day and night by NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to deny the fleeing insurgents the opportunity to regroup.

    “It is also to stop them from launching any attack against host communities and own surface troops on clearance operation,” he said.

    In a similar operation, NAF had deployed ISR platforms for surveillance activities over Samaru, Katab, Zonkwa, Kafanchan and other troubled areas in Southern part of Kaduna State, including the Kaduna metropolis.

    Famuyiwa explained that the ongoing air operations was aimed at supporting the surface forces as well as restoring confidence in the people living in the affected areas.

    He said further that the aerial patrol was also aimed at soughting out the hideouts used by criminal elements and armed bandits within the troubled areas.

    Famuyiwa added that aside employing air power to flush out the bandits, NAF also relayed on the intelligence gathered from its ISR operations to land forces to aid the conduct of the entire operations.

    Recall that the Nigerian military defeated the insurgents about a week ago and they were now on the run.

     

    NAN