The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday deployed additional 32 special forces to support Operation Safe Haven being executed by the military to restore normalcy to southern Kaduna.

The Air Officer Commanding (AOC ) Air Training Command Kaduna, AVM Musa Mukhtar said in Kaduna that the deployment was in response to the directive of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, for NAF to support the ongoing operation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the troops deployed two officers, 28 soldiers and two medical staff.


“We are part of support element going to Southern Kaduna to support the operation safe haven from the Nigerian airforce special forces.

“I call on the troops to be discipline, remain focused and respect human rights as they go about their operations.

“We have Operation Thunder Strike which is domiciled in Kaduna to take care of the North West axis, this means the air power will be originated from there.

“We also intend to carry out our civil military relation hopefully by next week and send a medical team from our hospitals.”

Mukhtar noted that the operation would be as long as necessary, adding that there were already a contingent of the Defence Special Forces deployed to southern Kaduna, to restore peace in the area.

“We also have air component Commander to coordinate the air power aspect,” he added.

The AOC called on the residents of southern Kaduna to avail the troops with all the necessary and genuine information that will assist in the successful execution of the operation.

“We will process the information and find out its true nature and then act,” he assured.

Mukhtar also called on the residents to give the military all the necessary cooperation, saying “we are there to assist the civil populace and not to harm them.”