The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has recorded one of its most decisive operational years, neutralising no fewer than 2,351 terrorists through sustained, intelligence-driven air operations conducted across multiple theatres nationwide in 2025.
According to a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the achievements were realised through the execution of 274 Air Interdiction (AI) missions, flown in 379 combat sorties. These missions targeted terrorist strongholds, logistics hubs, training camps, and critical mobility corridors across the country.
He disclosed that the figures exclude hundreds of additional airpower missions involving Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), close air support to surface forces, and armed reconnaissance operations. The AI missions alone accounted for approximately 800 flight hours, underscoring the NAF’s sustained reach, persistence, and operational dominance.
Beyond the immediate neutralisation of terrorist elements, the air interdiction campaign delivered decisive operational effects across key threat corridors. Sustained precision strikes disrupted supply chains, severed mobility routes, and degraded leadership structures linking terrorist enclaves in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions. These actions denied hostile elements freedom of movement and sanctuary, enabling surface forces to advance, reclaim contested territories, and stabilise vulnerable communities.
The campaign, Ejodame noted, has significantly reduced the operational tempo and morale of terrorist and bandit groups, resulting in a measurable contraction of hostile networks and marked improvements in security across several previously threatened areas.
In the maritime and energy security domain, precision air operations in the Niger Delta also delivered strategic gains. Targeted strikes led to the destruction of hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks, and several boats used by oil thieves and criminal syndicates. These operations substantially degraded the capacity of illicit actors to finance violence and organised crime, contributed to improved oil production, and reinforced national economic resilience.
Commenting on the operational outcomes, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, reaffirmed the Service’s resolve to maintain relentless pressure on all threats to national security.
“The outcomes recorded in 2025 clearly demonstrate the growing precision, effectiveness, and lethality of Nigerian Air Force air power,” Air Marshal Aneke said. “These results were made possible through intelligence-driven targeting, improved platform availability, enhanced crew proficiency, and seamless integration with surface forces and other security agencies.”
The CAS attributed the gains to sustained support from the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that deliberate investments in modern air platforms, personnel welfare, training, infrastructure, and enabling policies have been critical to the NAF’s enhanced operational readiness. He stressed that strong political will, strategic guidance, and consistent funding have positioned the Service to deliver credible air power in support of national security objectives.
Looking ahead, Air Marshal Aneke assured Nigerians that the NAF will intensify kinetic air operations in 2026, while maintaining strict adherence to Rules of Engagement and International Humanitarian Law.
“The Nigerian Air Force will remain relentless and decisive in taking the fight to all enemies of the Nigerian state. Criminal and terrorist elements will find no safe haven anywhere within our borders,” he declared, while urging misguided elements to renounce violence and embrace peace.
The NAF further reassured citizens that the protection of civilians remains central to its operations, with continuous improvements in intelligence validation, targeting processes, and mission oversight to minimise collateral damage. Nigerians were encouraged to remain vigilant, support security agencies with timely and credible information, and maintain confidence in the Armed Forces’ commitment to restoring lasting peace, stability, and national prosperity.
