No Retreat, No Surrender Until Normalcy Returns to North-East — Chief of Air Staff

opeolumartinDecember 26, 202503 mins

Maiduguri, Borno State — December 25, 2025

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment to restoring lasting peace in the North-East and other troubled parts of the country, declaring that the Air Force will neither retreat nor surrender until complete normalcy is achieved.

Air Marshal Aneke made this known during a Christmas luncheon with frontline troops held at the Headquarters of the Air Component, Operation Hadin Kai, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Maiduguri. He was represented at the event by the Chief of Air Intelligence, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal N. N. Ananaba.
In his Christmas message to the troops, the Chief of Air Staff commended their resilience, courage, and sacrifices in the ongoing fight against insurgency and other threats to national security. He urged them to remain focused and committed, emphasizing the importance of fully utilizing all operational opportunities and resources provided by the Nigerian Air Force to neutralize enemies of peace and safeguard lives and property.

According to him, the Nigerian Air Force remains a critical pillar in the nation’s counter-insurgency efforts, providing decisive air power support to ground forces and contributing significantly to the degradation of terrorist and criminal networks across the country.

The Nigerian Air Force has, over the years, sustained the tradition of organizing luncheons for frontline troops during major religious festivals such as Christmas, as part of efforts to boost morale and strengthen esprit de corps among personnel operating within the theatre of operations.
This year’s event was no exception, as officers and airmen gathered in large numbers to celebrate the season, reflect on their mission, and listen attentively to the Chief of Air Staff’s message of hope, determination, and victory.

The luncheon underscored the Air Force’s continued resolve to stand with its personnel on the frontlines and its commitment to ensuring peace, stability, and security return to the North-East and other affected communities nationwide.