The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao, says Nigerian troops are ready to destroy bandits ravaging the country as he pledged to collaborate with Kogi in fighting bandits.

Mr Amao stated this on Monday in Abuja when Governor Yahaya Bello visited him.

He assured Mr Bello that going by President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives, the air force would collaborate to root out bandits in Nigeria.

“Well, we know the challenges we are facing at the moment, but let me assure you that the President has given us his mandate to clear bandits wherever they are in this country.

“We will work with you as quickly as possible to sustain the security of the lives and property of the people of Kogi.

“So, let me assure you that we are ready to root out bandits except they decide to leave the Nigerian soil,” he said.

Last Wednesday, the Nigerian Army explained why Nigerian soldiers had played catch-up with bandits, Boko Haram, and ISWAP terrorists as the Chief of Defence Staff Lucky Irabor disclosed that the armed forces were developing new capabilities essential in tackling the security challenges across the country.

Mr Irabo stated this at a dinner held in honour of officers of the Senior Course 43 of Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna.

“Our involvement in containing asymmetric security threats in the past few years has highlighted the need to acquire new operational capability of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to deal with emergent threats.

“As you are aware, asymmetric warfare encourages the use of non-traditional military tactics, for which our previous training and operational doctrines were not well suited.

“Accordingly, we are developing new capabilities in intelligence and surveillance, which are critical for staying ahead of terrorists and insurgents, and other criminal elements in the society,” he said.

(NAN)