The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), with the agreement of the Air Force Council, has promoted 57 Senior officers, including 25 Group Captains and 31 Air Commodores, to higher posts (AFC).
According to a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who is the director of public relations and information, the following senior officers have been elevated to the rank of air vice marshal (AVM): Esen Efanga, Michael Ekwueme, John Laoye, Bgmibgmitawuza Solomon, Hassan Alhaji, Idi Sani, Gabriel Kehinde, Patrick Obeya, Ahmed Dari, Anthony Ekpe, Patrick Phillips, Bukkan Sani, and Ndubuisi Okoro are Air Cdres.
Others include Paul Irumheson, Anthony Martins, Dominic Danat, Samuel Chinda, Mohammed Yusuf, Mohammed Aliyu, Olasunkanmi Abidoye, Lawal Danzangi, Abdullahi Bello, Boniface Ifeobu, and Alfred Shogbanmu.
The promotion of six senior officers, including five Air Cdres to the rank of AVM and a Gp Capt to the position of Air Cidre, also received final approval from the AFC.
Aderemi Alli-Balogun was terminally promoted to Air Commodore, joining the other five Air Cdres who also achieved this honour: Dauda Prayero, Christopher Egwoba, Sunny Ohemu, Akugbe Iyamu, and Joseph Malgwi.
The following individuals were promoted from the rank of Group Captain to Air Cdre: Nasiru Saidu, Idowu Adewunmi, Abdul-karimu Audu, Abdullahi Dogo, David Bello, Magnus Abanum, Friday Bassey, Babatunde Oguntunde, Chukwuma Ohanele, Loveday Wariboko, Okechukwu Okpara, Daniel Njoku, and David Babalola.
In addition to these men, we have Umar Idris, Semiu Bakare, Usman Umar, Gabriel Oyekale, Sunday Bello, Mathew Bulus, Jilantikiri Ijudigal, Isaac Adelakun, Musa Aileru, Haliru Badamasi, Apeh Joseph, and Yelwa Mohammed.
In a message to the newly promoted senior officers, Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on behalf of the entire NAF family, expressed his sincere congratulations and urged them to view their promotion as an additional responsibility that requires strategic level critical thinking and analysis in proposing lasting solutions to curb the current security challenges facing the country.
Air Marshal Amao congratulated those receiving terminal promotions and wished them well in their future endeavours. He urged them to prove themselves worthy of their promotions by serving as model representatives of the NAF who are always prepared to do their part to promote the Service.
The CAS held a brief but colourful ceremony at NAF Headquarters earlier today to decorate the officers who were terminally promoted. Other officers will be adorned with their new ranks later; the date will be revealed soon.