Chief of Air Staff (CoAS), Sadiq Abubakar, says Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed 10 bandits’ camps in four states in the North-West zone in the ongoing ‘Operation Wutar Daji’.

Mr Abubakar, an air marshal, disclosed this on Tuesday in Katsina when he inspected the operations which had been on for the last one month.

He explained that NAF deployed 10 aircrafts with dozens of Special Forces for the operations.

The air chief stated that in the course of air surveillance, the force identified and bombed several armed bandits’ camps across four states.

He said the states included Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Kebbi in the North West Zone where the operation is ongoing.

Mr Abubakar said 10 jets were used in the operations where the hideouts of the armed bandits terrorising communities in Rugu, Kuyanbana, Birnin Gwari and Dansadau forests within the zone were destroyed.

“Our aerial surveillance team spotted several targets in the forest, we bombed the places and neutralised dozens of armed bandits.

“It must be noted that the operation is ongoing, we will not rest on our oars until we identify every bandit’s camp in the forest and destroy them.

“We will fight to the level that armed banditry will no longer be a security issue in the North-West or any other part of the country,” he said.

Mr Abubakar also inspected the construction of an aircraft hangar in Katsina, which would serve as a protective shelter for aircrafts being used for the anti-banditry operations.

“Our aircrafts are kept in the open which exposes them to high temperature and weather, and this affects their serviceability.

“Therefore we have commenced the construction of this aircraft hangar through direct labour, the hangar will be constructed by NAF civil engineers,” the air chief added.

He noted that all the efforts were geared toward enhancing efficiency in ongoing operations that cut across the troubled states in the North West region and the country in general.

(NAN)