By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
The Nigerian Airforce has celebrated female fighter pilots for their unique resilience, industry, productivity and commitment to humanity.
In a statement to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020, the Nigerian Airforce said the women of war (WoW) in the Service are breaking bounds and distinguishing themselves in a field often seen as the exclusive preserve of their male counterparts.
NAF also released a video footage to specially celebrate its women of war for their contributions and sacrifices in ensuring a secure Nation while highlighting their unique features and roles to mark this International Woman Day (IWD) with the theme, “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights.”
The statement by NAF Director of Information and Public Relations, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said the well trained and adequately equipped Women-of-War are proving their combat bravery and professional gallantry in complementing the efforts of troops in counter-insurgency campaigns and other crisis zones in the country.
According to PRNigeria that quoted an anonymous source, the female fighter pilots have continued in their success lines as the latest is the destruction of a stronghold of the Boko Haram in the North East.
The source disclosed that the efforts of the ladies in collaboration with ground forces has contributed significantly in causing damage in the camp of the insurgents.
The source named some of the pilots actively involved in degrading the enclaves of terrorists and bandits, especially in North-Eastern Nigeria as flying Officer Genevieve Nwaogwugwu, Flight Lieutenant Chika Ani, and Flying Officer Olubunmi Ijelu are Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) pilots, Flying Officer Kafayat Sanni and Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile are fighter pilots currently serving to restore peace in the region ravaged by insurgency, while Flight Lieutenant Blessing Liman is a respected Pilot in the Presidential Air Wing.
The intelligence source with a Joint military taskforce said, “We observe with interest the recent series of successful attacks carried out by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, where the female pilots play major roles in NAF’s Air Interdiction Operation, codenamed DECISIVE EDGE.
“They accomplish sustained airstrikes sequel to Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions with accurate hits on the target areas. The Women of War, as they called them, in efficient and effective coordinations with their male counterparts, have continued to provide intelligence, neutralize Boko Haram Fighters, bomb ISWAP fuel storage/logistics facilities, destroy terrorists’ gun trucks and take out a lot of training camps of the insurgents.
“In fact, in recent operations, they destroyed terrorists’ hideouts that are inaccessible to ground forces due to difficult and sometimes heavily mined terrains. Battle Damage Assessments have always confirmed their accurate hits on targets.”
