NIGERIAN AIR FORCE UNLEASHES DEVASTATING CAMPAIGN AGAINST OIL THIEVES, DESTROYS OVER 100 ILLEGAL SITES
The Nigerian Air Force has delivered crushing blows to criminal oil theft networks across the Niger Delta, destroying more than 100 illegal refining operations through intensive airstrikes during a five-month campaign that has significantly crippled crude oil theft activities.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information for the NAF, revealed that the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe executed over 173 missions and 265 sorties, accumulating approximately 270 flying hours in support of coordinated military operations across Nigeria’s critical oil-producing states.
The devastating aerial campaign obliterated 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, two major reservoirs, and multiple transport vehicles used by criminal networks operating along strategic corridors including Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Egbema/Ohaji, and the Trans Niger Pipeline Right of Way.
The NAF’s 115 Special Operations Group, which hosts the air component, has maintained relentless operational tempo throughout the region, systematically dismantling illegal refining infrastructure and disrupting the sophisticated logistics networks that fuel Nigeria’s massive oil theft industry.
These sustained operations represent a critical component of national efforts to combat militancy, halt environmental destruction caused by illegal refining activities, and protect the strategic oil and gas infrastructure that forms the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
The military’s kinetic campaign continues alongside civil-military cooperation and community development initiatives, as the NAF emphasizes that aggressive action remains essential to uprooting deeply entrenched criminal organizations that have plagued the region for years.
The comprehensive air operations underscore the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment to national security and economic stability, ensuring that Nigeria’s oil heartland remains secure and productive for legitimate operations.
Source: dailytrust.com