What all ethnic groups in Nigeria should do to confront common enemy

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Former Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), retired Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, says terrorists do not care about Nigerians’ ethnic or cultural differences, calling for sustained unity and professionalism of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in tackling them.

Amao, who said this at the 2025 NAF’s Base Social Activities on Saturday in Abuja, urged NAF personnel to consolidate on their operational excellence across multiple theatres during intense security engagements nationwide in 2025.

He said the NAF’s 2025 performance reflected discipline, cohesion and people-centred leadership, anchored on professionalism, morale and operational effectiveness nationwide.

“Terrorists threaten all Nigerians equally, and our response must remain unified, professional and resolute across every theatre of operation.

The 2025 tested the air force extensively. From the North-East to the South-South, our personnel delivered beyond expectations, demonstrating that unity of purpose translates directly into operational success,” he said.

Amao explained that aircrews flew thousands of combat, logistics and surveillance sorties, stressing, “ISR platforms provided timely intelligence, while precision strikes degraded enemy capabilities and saved countless Nigerian lives.

He said those achievements were products of collective effort, noting, behind every mission were pilots, engineers, intelligence officers, medical teams, logisticians, communicators and administrators working seamlessly as one force.

The former air chief described the event as integral to operational culture, saying, “BASA is not merely celebration; it reinforces cohesion and esprit de corps.”