NAF kills 2,351 terrorists in 274 air missions in 2025
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) recorded one of its most successful operational years, neutralising 2,351 terrorists through 274 Air Interdiction (AI) missions flown in 379 combat sorties across multiple theatres in 2025. This was contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Wednesday. Commodore Ejodame said […]
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) recorded one of its most successful operational years, neutralising 2,351 terrorists through 274 Air Interdiction (AI) missions flown in 379 combat sorties across multiple theatres in 2025.
This was contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Wednesday.
Commodore Ejodame said the AI missions targeted terrorist strongholds, logistics hubs, training camps and critical mobility corridors.
He said the figures excluded hundreds of additional airpower missions involving Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), close air support to surface forces and armed reconnaissance operations.
He noted that the AI missions alone accumulated approximately 800 flight hours, underscoring the NAF’s sustained reach, persistence and operational dominance.
He said, “Beyond the immediate neutralisation of terrorist fighters, the Air Interdiction campaign delivered decisive operational effects across key threat corridors.
“Sustained precision strikes disrupted supply chains, severed mobility routes and degraded leadership structures linking terrorist enclaves in the North East, North West and North Central regions, denying hostile elements freedom of movement and sanctuary.
“These effects enabled surface forces to advance, reclaim contested areas and stabilise vulnerable communities, while significantly reducing the operational tempo and morale of terrorist and bandit groups.
“Overall, the campaign resulted in a measurable contraction of hostile networks and a marked improvement in security across several previously threatened areas.”
In the maritime and energy security domain, Ejodame said precision air operations in the Niger Delta delivered equally strategic dividends.
He said targeted strikes led to the destruction of hundreds of illegal refining reservoirs, 126 storage tanks and several boats used by oil thieves and criminal syndicates.
The actions, according to him, substantially degraded the capacity of illicit actors to finance violence and organised crime, contributed to improved oil production and reinforced national economic resilience.
Ejodame said the success of the missions further highlighted the expanding role of air power in safeguarding critical national assets and supporting Nigeria’s economic recovery.
Commenting on the operational outcomes, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed NAF’s resolve to maintain relentless pressure on all threats to national security.
Aneke said the outcomes recorded in 2025 clearly demonstrated the growing precision, effectiveness and lethality of Nigerian Air Force air power. (NAN)