By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded one of its most decisive operational years, neutralising 2,351 terrorists through sustained intelligence-driven air operations across multiple theatres in 2025. The achievement was disclosed by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, in an official statement highlighting the Service’s operational milestones.
According to Ejodame, these results were realised through the execution of 274 Air Interdiction (AI) missions, flown in 379 combat sorties targeting terrorist strongholds, logistics hubs, training camps, and critical mobility corridors. The figures exclude hundreds of additional airpower missions, including Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), close air support, and armed reconnaissance operations. The AI missions alone accumulated approximately 800 flight hours, underscoring the NAF’s operational reach, persistence, and dominance.
The air interdiction campaign disrupted terrorist supply chains, severed mobility routes, and degraded leadership structures linking insurgent enclaves in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions, denying hostile elements freedom of movement. These operations enabled surface forces to reclaim contested areas, stabilise vulnerable communities, and significantly reduce the operational tempo and morale of terrorist and bandit groups, resulting in a measurable contraction of hostile networks.
In the Niger Delta, NAF precision strikes delivered strategic gains against oil theft and criminal syndicates. Targeted operations destroyed hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks, and several boats, crippling the capacity of illicit actors to finance violence, boosting oil production, and reinforcing economic resilience.
Commenting on the operational outcomes, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, said the results demonstrated the growing precision, effectiveness, and lethality of NAF air power. He attributed the gains to intelligence-driven targeting, improved platform availability, enhanced crew proficiency, and seamless coordination with surface forces and other security agencies.
Air Marshal Aneke further acknowledged the sustained support of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that investments in modern air platforms, personnel welfare, training, infrastructure, and enabling policies had strengthened the NAF’s operational readiness.
Looking ahead, the CAS assured that air operations would intensify in 2026, while adhering strictly to Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law. He warned criminal and terrorist elements that they would find no safe haven, urging them to renounce violence and embrace peace.
The Nigerian Air Force also reaffirmed its commitment to civilian protection, emphasising continuous improvements in intelligence validation, targeting, and mission oversight to minimise collateral damage. Citizens are encouraged to remain vigilant, cooperate with security agencies, and maintain confidence in the Armed Forces’ mission to restore peace, stability, and national prosperity.
