The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed more than 100 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region through airstrikes between January and May.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, announced this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Ejodame said the NAF executed more than 173 missions and 265 sorties, accumulating approximately 270 flying hours in support of joint military operations and independent strikes across key oil-producing states.
”The airstrikes also destroyed 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, two reservoirs, and several transport vehicles.
“These actions significantly degraded the capacity of oil thieves and vandals operating along critical corridors,” he said.
The NAF spokesman emphasised that the operations 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.
“The NAF had intensified air operations in the Niger Delta, recording significant successes in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft and the protection of vital national assets,” he added.
Ejodame stressed that the NAF remained committed to national security and economic stability by ensuring that Nigeria’s oil heartland remains secure and productive.
“While the NAF continues to
promote civil-military cooperation and community development in the region, it emphasises that the kinetic component of its campaign remains essential to uprooting entrenched criminal networks,” he said.
The NAF 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG) has maintained a high tempo of aerial missions across the region, dismantling illegal refining sites and disrupting the logistics of criminal networks.
The sustained air operations underscored NAF’s commitment to protecting the nation’s economic interests.
