The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, said the successful rescue of students and teachers abducted from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, was due to effective air dominance and intelligence-driven military operations.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
Suspected terrorists abducted the students on Monday when they attacked the school while candidates were sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination, SSCE, conducted by the National Examination Council, NECO.
The Chief of the Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, in the statement, commended the swift deployment of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, assets and timely air support, which hampered the movement of the attackers and allowed ground troops to engage them.
The operation showed the effectiveness of intelligence-led joint military operations to protect civilians and sustain pressure on terrorist groups, Aneke said.
He also commended the personnel of the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and ground troops for their roles in the rescue operation.
He said the accounts of the rescued victims also highlighted the importance of air power in modern counter-terrorism operations, especially when combined with ground forces.
He paid tribute to a soldier of Operation HADIN KAI and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force who died during the rescue mission.
The Vice Principal of the school, Paul Namaske, said the arrival of military aircraft forced the terrorists to disperse, creating an opportunity for the abducted students and teachers to escape as troops advanced on the attackers’ location.
The military has continued its operations against the terrorist groups in the North-East as part of its ongoing efforts to restore security in the region.
