President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, commissioned two TK129 ATAK helicopters and a King Air 360i aircraft acquired by the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) while tasking the security agencies to do more in the fight against terrorism in the country.
The new military choppers were inducted in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State. Tinubu, who was away in France, was represented by his Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
The T129 ATAK is equipped with the ASELFLIR-400 electro-optical system. It can spot its prey from miles away, offering a better resolution performance.
Delivering the President’s address, VP Shettima noted that the acquisition of the aircraft was an expression of his resolve to add impetus to the armed forces’ fight against the security challenges in the country.
The Nigerian Air Force has acquired seven new aircraft within nine months of President Tinubu’s administration.
Shettima said the government “will continue to re-professionalize and re-equip the Armed Forces and security agencies to effectively discharge their duties to our nation.”
“There is no room for celebrations until we put an end to the security logjam; until we can bring our troops back to their localities, and until we can free up resources for our critical economic expansion programme,” he added.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
