Abuja: The Nigerian Airforce has announced that air superiority and intelligence surveillance played a crucial role in the rescue of abducted students from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, located in the Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the incident occurred on Monday morning while the students were in the midst of their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) organized by the National Examination Council (NECO). The swift intervention of the military, as detailed in a statement by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, was vital to the mission’s success.
Ejodame cited the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, who praised the rapid deployment of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, which were essential in disrupting the movement of the assailants. This disruption allowed ground troops to engage the insurgents effectively and secure the release of the abducted students.
The operation was highlighted as an exemplary demonstration of intelligence-driven joint military operations, emphasizing the importance of air power in modern counter-terrorism efforts. Aneke commended the personnel involved, particularly those from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and their land counterparts, for their role in the successful rescue mission.
Aneke also acknowledged the sacrifice of a gallant soldier from Operation HADIN KAI and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force who lost their lives during the mission. Their bravery was instrumental in protecting the lives of the innocent and sustaining pressure on terrorist factions.
In an account from one of the victims, Mr. Paul Namaske, Vice Principal of the school, the arrival of military aircraft was pivotal. It scattered the terrorists, allowing the abducted teachers and students to escape as the troops advanced on the insurgents’ position.