The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has been called upon to honour and grant accelerated promotion to Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo and others whose gallantry was displayed when the Nigerian Alpha Jet Aircraft crashed recently.
A Deltan with the Facebook name, Freedom Okah, made the call on Wednesday July 21st 2021, in a post.
Hear him: “I wish to call on the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao and the military echelons to honour Flt Lieutenant Abayomi and also grant him accelerated promotion to the next rank in order to motivate him and others as this will no doubt go a long way in boosting the morale of troops fighting the insurgency war.
“I wish to use this medium to salute and commend very profusely and profoundly the uncommon and unprecedented gallantry displayed by Flt Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo who gave bandits a deadly blow between Zamfara and Kaduna states respectively before his jet was shot by the bandits but exited unscathed”.
It would be recall that Edward Gabkwet, Air Commodore Director of Public Relations and Information, in a statement said: “The young Pilot using his survival instincts, despite coming under severe and intense ground fire from the bandits was able to evade them by soughting refuge in nearby settlement awaiting sunset and successfully manouvered his way to an army unit for final safety, this looks like a film trick but the best of training he acquired over the years came handy.
“That we’re not here mourning or sending condolence messages if the bandits had killed him is very gratifying and we should thank God for saving the life of our hero.
According to the release, “On 18th July 2021, at about 12:45pm, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha Jet aircraft, returning from a successful air interdiction mission between the boundaries of Zamfara and Kaduna States, came under intense enemy fire which led to its crash in Zamfara State.
“The gallant pilot of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, successfully ejected from the aircraft, using his survival instincts, the pilot, who came under intense ground fire from the bandits, was able to evade them and sought refuge in nearby settlements awaiting sunset.
“Using the cover of darkness and his phone set for navigation, Flight Lieutenant Dairo was able to elude several bandits’ strongholds and maneuvered his way to a Nigerian Army Unit, where he was finally rescued.
“It is instructive to note that upon receipt of the news of the crash, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, had directed that all efforts must be emplaced to rescue the pilot.
“Accordingly, NAF Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and helicopter gunships provided close air support to NAF Special Forces and Nigerian Army troops who were able to locate the crash site and the pilot’s parachute, while also combing nearby locations for any sign of the pilot.
“It is gladdening to note that while in hiding, Flight Lieutenant Dairo confirmed that the presence of NAF aircraft within the vicinity of the crash site helped in scaring the bandits who were after him, thus enabling him to find refuge and escape to a safe location”, Gabkwet, said.
