The Nigerian Air Force on Friday launched a major internal drive to combat the rising threat of cross-border smuggling, warning its personnel stationed in the Niger Delta region against any form of collaboration or misconduct that undermines national security.
The intensified campaign, which aligns with the strategic vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, kicked off with a sensitisation lecture for personnel at the NAF Base Port Harcourt.
According to a statement issued by the NAF on its official X handle on Friday, the event, themed “The Effects of Cross-Border Smuggling and its Impact on National Security and the Image of the NAF,” was designed to re-emphasise the gravity of illicit trade and its connection to larger criminal enterprises.
The lecture, delivered by the Air Provost Marshal, Air Vice Marshal Jibrin Usman, highlighted how cross-border smuggling, including oil bunkering, arms trafficking, and contraband trade, acts as a major financial pipeline for criminal networks and terrorism across the country.
AVM Usman, who represented the CAS, made it clear that the Service maintains a zero-tolerance stance on indiscipline.
He stressed that beyond the immediate economic damage, smuggling erodes public trust in the military and provides resources for groups that destabilise the nation.
“Smuggling undermines the economy, fuels insecurity, and erodes public trust,” Usman stated, before delivering a strong caution to the personnel.
The Air Provost Marshal explicitly warned that any NAF personnel found complicit in such activities would face the full weight of military law, having betrayed the core values of the Service.
“Any NAF personnel found complicit would be betraying the uniform and the values it represents,” the statement issued on Friday affirmed.
Personnel in the Niger Delta region were particularly urged to remain vigilant and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in their duty to protect the nation’s economic and territorial interests.
The sensitisation program is part of one of the CAS’s command philosophy pillars: “Deliberate Training and Mission-Oriented Force Development,” which prioritises enhancing the capability and ethical orientation of the force.
The event concluded with a symbolic tree-planting exercise, which served to underscore the NAF’s dual and unwavering commitment to both national security and environmental stewardship in its areas of operation.
