The late Pilot Adanu Ochai who got posthumous promotion as Air Commodore was one of the 50 senior officers promoted to the next ranks in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
A press release issued by Bassey Okon, Wing Commander for Director of Public Relations and Information says the Air Council has approved promotion of the officers comprising 22 air commodores and 28 group captains.
Those elevated to the rank of Air Vice Marshal include the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), Olatokunbo Adesanya; Principal Director, Air Force Research and Development Center, Kaduna, Paul Jemitola; and Senior Air Staff Officer, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, Charles Ohwo.
Others are Director of Procurement, HQ NAF, Mohammed Yakubu; Commander 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Lagos, Emmanuel Wonah; Director of Civil Military Relations, HQ NAF, Ubrufih Uzezi, and Director of Air Engineering, HQ NAF, Hyacinth Eze.
Also promoted AVM are Commander 455 Base Services Group, Kano, Abubakar Liman, Air Component Commander, OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE, Idi Lubo; Commander 151 Base Services Group, Makurdi, Samuel Babalola; Director of Administration, HQ NAF, Nelson Calmday.
Others include Air Commodores Musa Tanko, Managing Director NAF Properties Ltd; Haruna Mohammed, Commandant NAF Institute of Safety, Ipetu Ijesha; Olusegun Philip, Director of Manuals, HQ NAF; and Aliyu Pani, Commander 051 Personnel Management Group, Lagos.
Chinwendu Onyike, Command Logistics Officer, Tactical AIT Command, Makurdi; Suleiman Mohammed, Commander, 109 Combat and Rescue Group, Makurdi; Dahiru Sanda, Deputy Director Policy, Defence Headquarters, Abuja; John Ochomma, Commander, 081 Pay and Accounting Group Ikeja; Idi Amin, 351 Base Services Group, Minna; and Mahmud Madi, Commander 115 Special Operations Group, Port Harcourt were promoted AVMs.
The senior officers promoted from Group Captain to Air Commodore include Abubakar Abdullahi, Abraham Adole, Adebayo Kahinde, Michael Onyebashi, Uchechi Nwagwu, Ebimobo Ebiowe, Nnaemeka Ilo, Patrick Philips, Amos Bulus, Ahmed Bakari, Anthony Ndace, Halim Adebowale.
Others are Hassan Alhaji, Alfred Shogbanmu, Idi Sani, Usman Abdullahi, Kabir Umar, Olufemi Ogunsina, Mohammed Suleiman, David Aluku, Raymond Nwankwo, Lawal Danzangi, Razaq Shittu, Babatunde Ajayi, Samuel Chinda, Paul Irumheson and Friday Ogohi.
A statement from NAF headquarters said “The promotions are in line with one of the key drivers of the vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, which is to promote and inculcate the core values of integrity, excellence and service delivery among NAF personnel.
“As an annual exercise, the NAF undertakes promotion exercise to motivate officers and men towards rededicating themselves to assigned duties and service to the nation.
“It is noteworthy that the exemplary and selfless sacrifice of late Air Commodore Adanu Ochai was recognized and rewarded by the CAS through his posthumous promotion.”
