Meet the new Chief of Air Staff, AVM Abubakar

Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar was appointed the 22nd Chief of Air Staff by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, on Monday.

His profile, released by the NAF Headquarters, states that Abubakar was born on September 11, 1970, and hails from the Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State.

Abubakar was enlisted in the Nigerian Air Force as a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 39 and was commissioned Pilot Officer on September 19, 1992.

Abubakar has attended several courses, among which are ab-initio and Basic Flying Training Courses at the then 301 Flying Training School, Kaduna, and Basic and Advance Airborne Courses at the Nigerian Army Infantry Centre and School, Jaji.

He also attended the Company Amphibious Operations Course at the Nigerian Army Infantry Centre and School, Calabar.

Others include Junior and Senior Command and Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and the National Defence Course at the Nasser Higher Military Academy, Cairo, Egypt.

Previous appointments held by the new CAS included Officer Commanding ‘B’ Squadron (Do 228), 81 Air Maritime Group NAF Benin; Team Leader MILOB Team Site 615 Mahagi (Ituri Brigade), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC); and Aviation Planning Officer, MONUC Air Operations Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

He was Commanding Officer, Base Services Wing 81 Air Maritime Group, Benin, and later served at different times at the 88 Military Airlift Group, Ikeja, where he held various appointments, including Operations Officer, Operational Conversion Unit; Operations Officer, Commanding Officer, 21 Wing, and Group Safety Officer.

He was Fleet Operation Officer 011 Presidential Air Fleet, and thereafter Commandant of the Unit.

His other appointments included Chief of Staff, Mobility Command, Yenagoa; Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Ikeja, as well as Director of Policy and Director of Operations, both at the Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Abuja.