Nigerian Air Force Delivers 11,000 Free Consultations, 846 Surgeries In Imo, Winning Hearts Beyond The Battlefield
In Imo State, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has shown that its mission goes far beyond defending Nigeria’s skies.
In a sweeping medical outreach carried out in August 2025, the Service treated over 11,000 people and conducted 846 free surgeries in Mbaise and neighbouring communities, transforming lives and strengthening trust between the military and civilians.
The programme, executed in partnership with Nwagwu’s Health Initiative, included 63 thyroidectomies, 118 gynaecological cases, 434 general surgeries, and 331 eye operations.
Beyond surgeries, the team also offered 9,054 general consultations, 2,177 eye consultations, and distributed more than 1,300 eyeglasses, walking aids, and crutches to persons with disabilities.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, said the outreach was part of NAF’s Civil-Military Cooperation strategy aimed at “putting people first” and bridging the gap between the military and communities.
Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, Chief of Civil-Military Relations, described the initiative as “a compassionate act of nation-building,” while AVM Uche Nwagwu, project coordinator, praised the collaboration that made the intervention possible.
For many residents, the outreach restored more than health, it restored hope. And for the Nigerian Air Force, it reaffirmed its identity as “the People’s Air Force.”
