Newly confirmed Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has declared that he will lead a disciplined and highly responsive Nigerian Air Force (NAF), capable of keeping insurgents “running without time to think or plan.”
Speaking during his confirmation before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Aneke said, “I use the word lethal in a professional sense… because a man running from you will not have the time to plan to hurt you.”
He described his leadership vision as one centered on training, technology, safety, and strategic innovation, saying “true military power is not measured by brute force but by superior intellect and adaptability.”
He pledged to build an Air Force that responds swiftly, strikes precisely, and operates intelligently across all military operations, with emphasis on professionalism, precision, and purpose.
Aneke’s confirmation follows his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act, and legally succeeds Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar. He now joins other Service Chiefs as a member of the Armed Forces Council.
The confirmation session was attended by the Minister of Defence, Dr Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, and the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado. Aneke assured Nigerians that under his command, the Air Force will be swift, precise, and intelligent in execution, concentrating on protection, purpose, and progress.
