By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
The newly confirmed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has vowed to lead a disciplined, intelligent, and lethal Nigerian Air Force (NAF) one that will keep insurgents “running without time to think or plan.”
“I use the word lethal in a professional sense,” Aneke clarified. “A man running from you has no time to plan to hurt you.”
Speaking shortly after his confirmation by the National Assembly, the new Air Chief outlined his leadership vision anchored on training, technology, safety, and strategic innovation. According to him, “true military power lies not in brute force, but in superior intellect, adaptability, and precision.”
AVM Aneke pledged to build an Air Force that responds rapidly, strikes with precision, and acts with purpose a force defined by professionalism, intelligence, and strategic agility across all theatres of operation.
His confirmation followed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nomination in line with constitutional provisions empowering the President to appoint Service Chiefs subject to Senate approval. With this confirmation, AVM Aneke officially succeeds Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar.
During the session, lawmakers praised Aneke’s operational brilliance and visionary leadership, noting his impressive record as Air Officer Commanding, Mobility Command, where he enhanced strategic airlift capacity, strengthened joint operations, and sharpened the NAF’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities a vital asset in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency and internal security operations.
Beyond the man, the appointment carries deep constitutional and strategic weight. Constitutionally, it reaffirms civilian oversight and democratic accountability in military leadership. Strategically, it represents continuity and confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to modernize its Air Force, strengthen airpower projection, and deepen civil-military trust.
A scholar and strategist, AVM Aneke is an alumnus of the United States Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama, and holds multiple advanced degrees in Strategic Studies, International Affairs and Diplomacy, and Political Economy and Development Studies. With over 4,300 flight hours on various aircraft types, he ranks among Nigeria’s most experienced and visionary airpower professionals.
The confirmation session was graced by Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Special Adviser to the President of Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado.
As he assumes command, AVM Aneke’s message to Nigerians is unmistakable,
"The Nigerian Air Force under my leadership will be swift in action, precise in strike, and intelligent in execution—a force built not just for power, but for purpose, protection, and progress.”
