The Nigerian Air Force has escalated its efforts to combat oil theft in the South-South region, particularly targeting illegal refining activities.
During a recent operation near the Imo River, NAF aircraft successfully destroyed 13 illegal refining sites.
According to the PUNCH, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, said the operators of these illegal sites have been exploiting the challenging terrain to conduct their activities. Despite this, personnel from Operation Delta Safe managed to locate and dismantle the sites.
“Even as efforts have been ramped up to curtail the activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs in their illegal and nefarious acts of bursting oil pipelines and siphoning crude oil or its products, the rate at which illegal oil refining sites continue to spring up requires drastic measures,” Gabkwet stated.
He explained that the air component of Operation Delta Safe has increased its patrols, particularly in the Niger Delta region, to locate and destroy illegal refining sites. The recent operation, conducted near Obuzor and Okoloma, led to the destruction of 13 illegal sites, along with over 10 overhead tanks connected to reservoirs and numerous gallons of illegally refined products.
In a separate operation, NAF operatives identified a six-tyre truck and four canoes being used to load illegal products along a riverbank. Upon sighting the aircraft, the criminals fled, and the NAF personnel destroyed the truck and canoes.
The patrol continued along the Trans Niger Pipeline from Rumuekpe-Nkpoku to Bonny, covering key points such as the Bodo trunk line and Rumuekpe-Nkpoku line, with no unusual activity observed.
