The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), also referred to as drones, by the Nigeria Army is aimed at improving the fortunes of the Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency. However, there is a need to carry the Nigerian Air Force along in the deployment of these weapons. During military operations, guidelines should be clearly defined to avoid conflict between different branches of the Armed Forces. Although there is no law that gives the Air Force monopoly of the air, some officers believe the Army should stay away from flying and bombing deep into enemy territory.

The Airmen would want soldiers to be more concerned with engagement in their battle area for self-defence and if they have to use drones, there must be full adherence to directives determining areas of responsibility. There appears to be a gap in communications between both branches of the Armed Forces as clearly shown after the December 3, 2023 error bombing in Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The Air Force quickly distanced themselves from the incident. Speaking through their spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, they said Tudun Biri was way out of target on the day of the unfortunate incident. Less than three weeks later, he was promoted from Air Commodore to Air Vice Marshal. Gabkwet’s swift reaction was apparently to spare the Air Force further blame following similar mistakes in the past. The experience of not being cleared by the Defence Headquarters in the recent past taught them a bitter lesson. Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, visited Tudun Biri. He is an Army General. Defence spokesman, Tukur Gusau, did not issue any statement prior to Gabkwet’s press statement. He is also an Army officer and should have done that. It is good that the Army claimed responsibility and offered apologies. Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, flew to Tudun Biri for an on the spot assessment of the damage caused by drones. While apologising to families of victims, he promised to carry out necessary investigations. There is a feeling among Air Force officers that if the drones were operated by those established and better trained to do the job; the error could have been avoided.

We expect the Chief of Defence Staff to dig deep into the use of drones and settle on the branch better trained to handle them. This is not saying that the Army cannot manage drones as effectively as the Air Force. Warfare is dynamic. All over the world, Navies are flying attack aircraft. United States warships are full of pilots trained by the Navy; they do not have to rely on air support from the US Air Force. Beyond the camouflage, it is clear that the Nigeria Army and Air Force were on different pages during the bombing. If they worked together, there would not have been any need for Gabkwet’s clarification. President Bola Tinubu must call the Service Chiefs to a meeting. We cannot fault their appointment. Lagbaja and his Air Force counterpart, Air Marshal Haruna Abubakar, are Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Regular Course 39 mates. The Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, is also their course mate. They all must work together to change the narrative. In April 2021, Nigerian Air Force jets mistakenly bombed soldiers in Mainok, Borno State. It was in error. In the past, the Army accused the Air Force of denying them aerial support during crucial battles.

The Air Force may be the youngest of the Armed Forces, at nearly 60 years. They could have been led by Sandhurst trained Army officers until July 29, 1975 but they are also a vital part of war. They worked harmoniously with the Army in Liberia and Sierra Leone. That synergy cannot be eroded in Nigeria. Some Army officers see their Air Force counterparts as full of air. That partly explained the plight of the second indigenous Chief of Air Staff, Shittu Alao. It was his bid to be a pilot that led to his death in an air crash at Uzebba during the Civil War. When John Yisa Doko was made the first trained fighter pilot to head the Air Force in 1975, he worked towards changing ranks from the Army model. This was achieved a year later. From Colonel, he became Air Vice Marshal. After training together at the NDA, we expect officers of the Armed Forces to unite in the resolve to wipe out terrorism. The Chief of Defence Staff has a huge role to play here. As a soldier he should also listen to his Air Force counterpart.

Update news