The Nigerian Air Force has begun transporting relief materials to riverine communities ravaged by floods in Bayelsa State.
A statement Tuesday by NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the provision was to help the civil authority to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians affected by the flood.
TheFact Daily reports that relief materials were airlifted by the C-130 aircraft from Enugu to Port Harcourt and ferried to Igbogenne in Bayelsa State using the Mi-35M and EC-135 helicopters.
“In line with its constitutional mandate of providing aid to civil authority, the Nigerian Air Force has commenced the airlift of relief materials to riverine communities in Bayelsa State affected by the recent flooding.
“The relief materials, which were airlifted from Enugu State to Igbogenne community in Bayelsa State via Port Harcourt, are intended to be redistributed to other riverine communities adversely affected by the recent flooding in the State”, the statement read in part.
The airlift of the relief materials, it was learnt, comes on the heels of the directive issued by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, to all operational units and Commanders to ensure they provide the necessary assistance required by all government agencies towards alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians affected by this year’s unprecedented flooding in some parts of the country.
The NAF spokesman added that more relief materials were expected to be airlifted in the coming days from other parts of the country to affected flooded communities in Bayelsa State and other States in the country.
The statement said NAF had been providing aid in the form of airlift to civil authorities.
In March 2020, the NAF airlifted medical materials donated by the Jack Ma foundation consisting of 107 boxes of medical supplies and equipment weighing over 1,360kg.
Also, in April 2020, the NAF airlifted medical equipment and supplies donated by the Turkish government from Lagos to Abuja.
Similarly, in March 2021, the NAF airlifted COVID-19 medical relief materials donated by the Economic Community of West Africa States.
