The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has approved the construction of two more hangars in Nasarawa and Gombe State, as part of efforts to enhance the operational capability of the Nigeria Police Airwing.
The new hangars are expected to be an addition to the Sections three (III) functional Aircraft Hangars located in Abuja, Lagos and Enugu.
This was disclosed in a statement by the unit Public Relations Liason Officer, Muhammad Sadiq on Thursday.
“The Police Airwing is said to have through successive administrations, grown steadily and consistently, with improved skilled manpower and now boasts of one (1) Cessna Citation Jet and thirteen (13) Helicopters comprising six (6) Bell 412EP, three (3) Bell 427, three (3) Bell 306 and one and (1) Bell 429,” the statement read.
It added that the Commissioner of Police, Airwing Force Headquarters Abuja, CP Danladi Lalas, has been empowered to effectively discharge the mandate of the unit appropriately.
“Over the years, the Police Airwing has carried out its core operational mandates rigorously.
“They include: Aerial patrols/Surveillance over the cities and other suspected criminal hideouts, conveyance of sensitive electoral materials and suspects under custody both for Police and other sister Security Agencies, Search and Rescue operations, VIP movements including those of Presidency, Medical Evacuations, Support to the Military operations (especially in the troubled regions) for quick evacuation of troops and logistics to locations where needed, as well as timely evacuation of casualties, movement of electoral materials to places that are inaccessible by road, Police general operations; which include raiding of criminal hideouts, rescue of kidnapped victims, anti-bandits operations and any other duty assigned to the Section.
“The Section has contributed tremendously in combating crimes and criminality in our society through robust aerial patrols and providing adequate support to the ground troops, in order to guarantee maximum protection of lives and property by checkmating the heinous activities of persons who perpetrate crimes and criminality, either for self-interest or for the sake of other unscrupulous elements in the society,” the statement said.
The Nigeria Police Airwing was established in 1972 as the operational air arm of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Section started with one (1) Helicopter (a three-seater Bell 47G-5A) and a Piston Multi-Engine Cessna 310 Airplane.