The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft destroyed over 100 illegal refining sites, 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, and several transport vehicles in a five-month operation in the Niger Delta.
The feat was achieved through 173 missions and 265 sorties, totaling approximately 270 flying hours in support of Operation Delta Safe.
NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, announced this in a statement on Sunday.
He said the joint military operations and independent strikes across was conducted along key oil-producing states including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
According to Ejodame, the NAF actions significantly degraded the capacity of oil thieves and vandals operating along critical corridors such as Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Egbema/Ohaji, and the Trans Niger Pipeline Right of Way.
“The operations are aligned with national efforts to curb militancy, stop environmental degradation caused by illegal refining, and protect strategic oil and gas infrastructure, the backbone of Nigeria’s economy,” he said.
The NAF assured continued civil-military cooperation and community development in the region, while emphasizing the importance of kinetic operations to dismantle entrenched criminal networks.
