NAF Commences Airlift of Relief Materials to Victims of Maiduguri Flood Disaster  

Linus Aleke in Abuja 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced the airlift of relief materials to victims of Maiduguri flood disaster in fulfillment of its statutory role of providing military aid to civil authority.

The NAF also explained that these materials, donated by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), was aimed at alleviating the sufferings caused by the floods, which have disrupted daily life, destroyed properties and displaced millions.

The Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said that the airlift missions, which commenced September 24, 2024, had the first batch of the relief items, comprising 300 bags of 50kg rice, successfully delivered to NAF Base Maiduguri via the NAF C-130 Hercules aircraft. 

He disclosed that the Air Component Commander, Air Commodore U. U. Idris, received the materials and handed them over to the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental and Special Duties, Alhaji Tukur Ibrahim, who was accompanied by the Comptroller of the NCS, M. D. Malah.

He added that heavy-duty trucks provided by the NAF were used to transport the materials to the Borno State Government House for onward distribution to the affected flood victims. 

Earlier, the NAF had launched a medical outreach programme to support flood victims, in addition to the feeding of over 2,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). 

This initiative, he said, included the provision of medications, food and water supplies to help mitigate the effects of the flood and address the urgent needs of the affected population.

According to him, “The NAF’s airlift mission and medical outreach are part of a broader effort to support national disaster response initiatives and highlight the critical role of military assets in humanitarian crises.”

The Chief of the Air Staff ((CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, also directed that the operations should continue, “ensuring that both relief materials and free medical aid reach all affected areas”.

The NAF spokesperson stated that the service will persistently collaborate with other security agencies to mobilize human and material resources for the support of the flood victims. 

He concluded that the operations will be sustained as long as necessary to ensure that relief materials effectively reach those affected by the disaster.