The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has called for stronger collaboration among governments, security agencies, traditional institutions and local communities to tackle insecurity in the South-East, stressing that military operations alone cannot guarantee lasting peace.
Air Marshal Aneke made the call at the South-East Regional Security Summit 2026 held in Umuahia, Abia State. The summit, themed “Collaborative Approaches to Strengthening Security and Regional Stability,” was convened by the Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa.
Describing the summit as a demonstration of stakeholders’ collective commitment to restoring peace and stability, the Air Chief commended the South-East Governors’ Forum and other partners for supporting efforts aimed at addressing security challenges in the region.
He noted that despite recent security concerns, the South-East remains a key commercial and industrial hub with enormous economic potential that must be protected.
Air Marshal Aneke reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to sustaining security across the region, assuring that the Armed Forces and other security agencies would continue to intensify joint operations to deny criminal elements the freedom to threaten lives, property and economic activities.
He disclosed that ongoing operations involving intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, precision air strikes and close air support have significantly weakened the operational capacity of criminal groups operating in the region.
The Chief of the Air Staff, however, stressed that achieving lasting peace requires addressing the root causes of insecurity through a collective approach involving government, traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and civil society.
He urged stakeholders to create more economic opportunities for young people, strengthen community engagement and support initiatives that discourage criminality.
Air Marshal Aneke also appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence, reiterating the importance of the “See Something, Say Something” campaign in combating insecurity.
He assured participants of the Nigerian Air Force’s continued commitment to strengthening civil-military relations through community outreach programmes and expressed confidence that the summit would produce practical strategies for enhancing peace, security and economic development across the South-East.
