The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on Sunday, said it has commenced the airlifting of relief materials to victims of the Maiduguri flood disaster, in fulfilment of its statutory role of providing military aid to civil authority.
The NAF also explained that the materials, donated by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), were aimed at alleviating the suffering caused by the floods, which had disrupted the daily life of Maiduguri residents, destroyed their properties, and displaced millions.
Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said the airlift missions, which commenced on 14 September 2024, had the first batch of the relief items, comprising 300 bags of 50kg rice, successfully delivered to NAF Base Maiduguri via the NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft.
He disclosed that the Air Component Commander, Air Commodore UU Idris, received the materials and handed them over to the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental and Special Duties, Alhaji Tukur Ibrahim, who was accompanied by the Comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service, MD Malah.
He added that heavy-duty trucks provided by the NAF were used to transport the materials to the Borno State Government House for onward distribution.
Earlier, the NAF had launched a medical outreach programme to support flood victims, in addition to the feeding of over 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
This initiative, he said, included the provision of medications, food, and water supplies to help mitigate the effects of the flood and address the urgent needs of the affected population.
“The NAF’s airlift mission and medical outreach are part of a broader effort to support national disaster response initiatives and highlight the critical role of military assets in humanitarian crises,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, directed that the operations should continue, “ensuring that both relief materials and free medical aid reach all affected areas.”
NAF spokesperson averred that the service would persistently collaborate with other security agencies to mobilise human and material resources for the support of flood victims.
He stated that the operations would be sustained as long as necessary to ensure that relief materials effectively reached those affected by the disaster.
Michael Olugbode and Linus Aleke
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