The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, said
it has deployed a contingent of 200 men and air assets, to Dakar, from
where it is expected operate into The Gambia.
Other platforms deployed to
Dakar, as part of Nigerian contingent of Economic Community of West African
States Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG), include fighter jets,
transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft.
The Director of Public
Relations and Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, who made this known,
said the NAF contingent, led by Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, was airlifted
yesterday morning from the 117 Air Combat Training Group, Kainji.
He listed other countries that have deployed troops to
Gambia, to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result
from the current political impasse there, to include Senegal, Ghana and
countries within the sub-region.
Famuyiwa, in a statement, said the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air
Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, while addressing members of the contingent
shortly before their departure, urged them to be disciplined and
professional in their conduct. Abubakar warned that no act of indiscipline
by the contingent would be tolerated and charged them to be good
ambassadors of Nigeria.
The NAF spokesman, in the statement, said “The Nigerian Air
Force (NAF) has deployed to Senegal, as part of Nigerian contingent of Economic
Community of West African States Military Intervention in The Gambia (ECOMIG) –
a standby force tasked by ECOWAS Heads of State to enforce the December 1, 2016
election mandate in the The Gambia.
“NAF, today, moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets
comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well
as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft to Dakar from where
it is expected to operate into Gambia.
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