Neither clients of plastic surgery nor make-up, their natural beauty delights the eye in their smartly dressed military wear… Though innocent looking, pure and enticing, they remain feminine, while their line of duty is the traditional masculine career of fearless and courageous souls. They are the Nigerian Women of War in the Nigerian Airforce (NAF).

This writeup is a tribute to mark the International Women’s Day by examining the roles our women are playing in national security.

NAF Women of War and Engineers fixing a fighter jet

I have met some of them on the field and they were the topic of discussion at a recent interaction with the twentieth Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, when he disclosed that the trained female air combatants, known as Women of War, are engaged in active military operations, fighting Boko Haram terrorists in North-East, combating armed bandits in North-West, and other criminal elements in other parts of Nigeria.

Since his appointment as CAS on July 13, 2015, Air Marshal Abubakar has engaged in the massive recruitment of officers, airmen and airwomen, with heavy investment in capacity building, training and retraining of personnel.

The female warriors, like their male counterparts, are not only trained locally but some of them attended the best military academies in the world. Apart from those who have returned from training and are currently active in the frontlines, one of the warriors is currently undergoing intensive training in the United States of America to become a female fighter pilot, while another is in South Africa training to become a helicopter gunship pilot.

NAF Well-Armed Women of War

The trained female personnel, like their male counterparts, have neutralised insurgents during airstrike missions, provided close air support, air interdiction, in-theatre liaison flights, casualty evacuation, as well as logistics re-supply of ammunition, water, food, and medicine. In a nutshell, they have provided tactical support for the ground troops.

Some of the female air officers fly sophisticated fighter planes and control operation rooms used in gathering intelligence, carrying out surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities. Apart from the pilots, a number of the women of war are also experienced ammunition loadmasters, aircraft maintenance engineers, aerospace engineers, armament specialists, squad leaders, combatants, military policewomen, and air traffic controllers, among other specialisations.

The Women of War evolved mostly from the massive recruitment and training exercises conducted in the last three years under Air Marshal Abubakar, resulting in the engagement of 7,522 young airmen/airwomen, 400 young graduate-officers, and 95 winged pilots in the Nigerian Air Force.

NAF Women of War Preparing Arms and Ammunition for a military mission

In addition to making the NAF a gender-sensitive service that encourages its personnel to explore their potentials without inhibition in the armed forces, Air Marshal Abubakar ensured that senior officers on managerial levels are trained in other fields of relevance beyond their core fields of specialisation. For instance, when he appointed AVM Adesanya and later Air Commodore Daramola as spokespersons of the force, he ensured that the officers attended specialised and advanced practical communication programmes organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and the African Public Relations Association (APRA), among other capacity-building institutions to become members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) as required by law. Therefore, their practical PR skills, acquired through advanced training rather than academic theories, have helped the officers to reposition the service and boost its reputation to the public admiration.

NAF Women of War Preparing an aircraft for an operation

To ensure the trained and recruited personnel are engaged in relevant fields, the service has recorded remarkable achievements in the acquisition of new platforms and establishment of new operational offices across the country. The NFA’s structure has been expanded through the establishment of a Special Operations Command in Bauchi, a Ground Training Command in Enugu, and the establishment of new Regiment Groups in Gembu, Taraba State; Ipetu Ijesha, Osun State; Owerri, Imo State, and Agatu, Benue State. New Units have equally been established in Plateau, Katsina, Gombe, Zamfara State, and Nasarawa States.

It is to the credit of the CAS that NAF fleets of aircraft have recorded unprecedented growth with the purchase of 16 brand new aircrafts, the reactivation of 13 previously grounded aircrafts, the release of funds for the purchase of 12 Super Tucano aircrafts from America and five attack/utility helicopters from Italy. The NAF currently has in its arsenals Alpha Jets, Super Mushshak aircrafts, Mi-35M helicopters, gunships, Bell 412 helicopters, Tsaigunmi UAV, among others.

Air Marshal Abubakar and the writer and a journalist during an interaction on military operations

Meanwhile, apart from improving the welfare of personnel through the provision of befitting accommodation and a conducive environment, the service has expanded its Post-Service Housing Programme to address the shelter needs of officers and airmen/airwomen as they prepare for retirement.

Nigerians in host communities are also beneficiaries of the magnanimity of the Nigerian Airforce, which just completed another new 60-bed NAF Reference Hospital in the North-East and upgraded equipment at its various medical centres, while also constructing new secondary schools and adding blocks of classrooms and hostel accommodations in existing NAF schools across the country.

It was therefore not surprising that the NAF in the last three-and-a-half years under the Air Chief Sadique Abubakar has conducted medical outreaches that treated 479,921 patients as at December 2018. The NAF’s school feeding programme for over 1,000 school children has, more so, greatly contributed to the number of pupils who have returned to school in the area.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author, An Encounter with the Spymaster
www.YAShuaib.com

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He said: “While commending the efforts of the Armed Forces so far, you need to brace up and continue to team up with other stakeholders to come up with a well-coordinated joint effort which will bring a desired end to these insurgencies within three months.”

The decoration ceremony came exactly a month after their appointment on July 13, 2015. Therefore with the three months’ notice, by November 13, 2015 or before the end of the year at the latest, Boko Haram terrorism should be history in the country.

Armed with impeccable military career and record of honesty, President Muhammadu Buhari has initiated new strategic measures to address seeming insecurity in the country. He has instructed the location of the military high command centre close to the theatre of war and engaged in diplomatic shuttle to secure the collaboration of neighbouring countries in tackling the insurgents frontally.

In demonstrating abiding loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) swung into action immediately. ONSA is statutorily empowered by Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 to coordinate and support “all security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria.” Therefore, the office is the most powerful after the Presidency in ensuring effective formulation and implementation of comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy in the country.

In less than 24 hours of the Presidential directive, the National Security Adviser, retired Major General Babagana Monguno led the security chiefs to the warfront for on-the-spot-assessment and for strategic planning. Those in his entourage included Lt-Gen Abayomi Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. General T.Y. Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar Chief of Air Staff and Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase. The only person conspicuously missing is the seeming taciturn Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawan Daura, who rather prefers to acts behind the scene.

More fighter jets and attack helicopters were deployed, with the Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar commanding some of the air missions. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of aerial bombardments and destructions of terrorists’ bunkers and other locations, especially in Sambisa Forest.

The ground troops were not left out as they continue to engage the disorganised and fleeing terrorists in merciless operations using armoured trucks and other sophisticated armaments. Surprisingly, the daring terrorists attempted an ambush on the convoy of Chief of Army Staff during an operational tour of the front. Fortunately, none of the demented terrorists escaped as they met their waterloo from the gallant troops who killed most and arrested others.

It is gratifying to also note efforts being made to address the plight of the traumatised Internally Displaced Persons through interventions of humanitarian bodies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The top security officers are currently enjoying the euphoria and the goodwill of President Buhari. The honeymooning of the election victory has been sustained where every appointment, every pronouncement, in fact every action of the leadership of the current administration receive overwhelming endorsements.

While the politicians can play politics with every issue, the security chiefs should remain focused on the job by providing qualitative leadership and improving the welfare of the foot-soldiers. They should sustain the momentum on the offensives against the terrorists by improving strategies on the ground and marshalling new approach to meet the deadline. They should ensure their troops receive sufficient training, adequate equipment, and incentive to motivate them in the war on terror.

The security chiefs should ensure that their spokespersons are not only forthcoming with timely and factual information, they should also encourage media coverage of aspects of counter-terrorism operation, where necessary by embedding journalists in missions.

Since no operation succeeds without cooperation of other stakeholders, service chiefs should sustain the existing inter-agency collaboration and coordination against rivalry, especially on joint operations. In fact they should emulate the harmonious working relationship of their spokespersons under the auspices of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) where every agency is treated equally with utmost respect.

The appointment of people from the insurgency affected areas into top security positions should be impetus for obtaining critical and required intelligence on the real sponsors, sympathisers and embedded terrorists within the communities for prosecution.

While they exert their military might on the undesirable elements, if genuine opportunity for peaceful dialogue opens, the political class could explore it. The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), a non-governmental organisation, recently disclosed that some Boko Haram elements have approached it to facilitate a dialogue with the government. If such a negotiation succeeds, it may facilitate the release of abducted Chibok girls, end senseless blood-letting and restore peace to the war-ravaged North-Eastern Nigeria.

The security chiefs must acknowledge the fact that the security challenges confronting the country including insurgency, militancy, armed robbery, kidnappings and other crimes, can be reduced through effective intelligence gathering as well as inter-agency collaborations.

The three month deadline issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to defeat Boko Haram is achievable considering that in its twilight, the last administration recovered 22 local government councils from terrorists within six weeks. The ground troops and fighter-pilots who achieved the feat are still the same ones to be deployed for this new task. What has changed so far, is the leadership which is expected to lead the forces in winning the renewed war on terror.

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