CAS Visits Air Component OPHK Maiduguri for Operational Assessment
By: Zagazola Makama
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal, on April 12, 2025, paid an operational visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The CAS, who was received by the Air Component Commander OPHK, Air Commodore UU Idris, was briefed on the ongoing security operations in the region and the significant air efforts being undertaken by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
During the visit, the CAS was provided with detailed updates on the current security situation in the North-East, particularly in areas affected by the activities of Boko Haram terrorists (BHTs) and other insurgent groups. The brief also covered the critical role the Air Component plays in providing air support to ground troops in their efforts to combat insurgency and restore peace to the region.
Following the briefing, the CAS toured the facilities at NAF Base Maiduguri, where he engaged with personnel stationed there. He commended the Air Component for its continued dedication and effectiveness in supporting the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.
He further encouraged the personnel to sustain their efforts and intensify operations to decimate the remnants of BHTs and deny them freedom of movement. The CAS emphasized the importance of air superiority in enabling ground forces to gain control of key areas, thereby fostering the eventual restoration of peace in the region.
The CAS’s visit point to the importance of continued collaboration between air and ground forces in the fight against insurgency, highlighting the critical role of airpower in securing Nigeria’s North-East.
He departed Maiduguri the same day, having expressed confidence in the efforts of the Air Component and the Nigerian military’s ongoing operations in the Theatre.
The operational visit by the CAS serves as a reminder of the continued commitment of the Nigerian Air Force to supporting ground operations and maintaining pressure on insurgent forces in the North-East, as part of the broader efforts to restore stability to the region.
