By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, has intensified its air offensive in the North-East, delivering a series of precision strikes that have significantly degraded terrorist capabilities across the Sambisa axis and the Tumbuns.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the operations were conducted based on credible intelligence and targeted key insurgent enclaves, logistics hubs, and fortified hideouts.
The statement disclosed that on April 30, 2026, NAF air assets executed a high-impact Air Interdiction mission at Alafa within the Sambisa Forest, where identified terrorist infrastructure and supply nodes were successfully engaged and destroyed through coordinated strike runs.
It further revealed that the offensive was sustained on May 1, 2026, with another decisive operation targeting terrorist positions at Metele in the Lake Chad region Tumbuns. Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions had earlier uncovered a heavily fortified island enclave housing insurgent fighters, storage facilities, and defensive trench systems.
With a significant concentration of terrorists confirmed within the location, NAF aircraft delivered precise and overwhelming firepower, effectively decimating the stronghold and neutralising scores of fighters. The statement noted that the sustained intensity of the operations underscores a deliberate strategy to maintain continuous pressure on terrorist elements, denying them the ability to regroup or sustain operations.
Reacting to the development, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, commended the professionalism, resilience, and combat effectiveness of NAF personnel involved in the missions. He reaffirmed the Service’s determination to dominate the operational environment, stressing that the air campaign would persist with increased intensity until all terrorist threats are fully neutralised.
The NAF reiterated its commitment to supporting ongoing counterterrorism efforts and ensuring the restoration of peace and security across the North-East.
