The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has said the best way to pay tribute to the nation’s fallen heroes is to sustain joint offensives against non-state actors.
Abubakar said this on Sunday in Abuja in his tribute to the Armed Forces of Nigeria in commemoration of the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
He said there was the need for sustained joint air, ground and maritime strikes against terrorists, insurgents and economic saboteurs in paying tribute to those who paid the supreme price in the defence of Nigeria.
Abubakar commended Air Component Commanders of the various joint theatres of operation for the series of successful air strikes undertaken since the beginning of 2024.
He said that as recent as Saturday, air interdiction strikes by the “Operation Hadin Kai’’ at Tumbunma Baba near Lake Chad was successful in eliminating terrorists and destroying their vehicles and structures.
The Chief of Air Staff noted that Nigeria could never repay fallen heroes for their efforts at restoring peace and tranquillity, stressing that the efforts must be sustained to return the country to its peaceful past.
“We have no excuse not to deliver on our mandate as the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government has provided the wherewithal for us to succeed.
“We must, therefore, continue to sustain the momentum of our operations and give our citizens the confidence they require to go about their businesses without fear,” he said.
Abubakar called on Nigerians to continue to offer gratitude, goodwill, solidarity and unrelenting prayers for fallen heroes and their families.
He said Nigeria should accord fallen patriots the honour and credit they deserved and reassure those still in service that the country would neither forget their sacrifices nor forsake them in their hours of need.