The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has said the Nigerian Air Force would deploy a maritime aircraft to the South-South region to assist the Nigerian Navy in policing the creeks in Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

Abubakar said this on Thursday in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, during his maiden visit to the 207 Special Mobility Group of the Nigerian Air Force.

He said that the aircraft would assist in patrolling the creeks of the South-South, with a view to preventing oil theft and pipeline vandalism which are the economic resources of the country.

The Chief of Air Staff said, “We are working with the Navy. And very soon, we will deploy a maritime aircraft that would assist them in their activities.

“There is a comprehensive plan on ground already through the Operation Pulo Shield and the military. They are working together to ensure that petroleum infrastructure in the South-South are given adequate protection.

“We are working towards getting rid of these criminals. We need intelligence information too from members of the public that would help us curb this menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism,” he said.

On insurgency, Abubakar said that the military was at the tail end of eliminating the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

According to him, the porous movement of the sect in long convoys from one village to the other, killing innocent people, has been curtailed.

He said that the military has recaptured most of the territories that were previously in the control of the sect.

“We are not only winning the war against Boko Haram; we are actually at the finishing end of the battle. It is just a matter of time; this issue of insurgency will definitely come to an end.

“If you visit Maiduguri today and witness the level of economic activities going on, you will believe with me that peace is fast returning back to that area,” he said.

.Source: Punch