The air component of Operation Delta Safe has obliterated six illicit oil refining sites in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
These unlawful sites were concentrated within an approximately 80-metre radius, positioned around 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana.
A statement on Tuesday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet of the Nigerian Air Force, conveyed that permission to bombard the refining sites was granted upon confirming their operational status.
The statement explained, “As part of the continued endeavors to eliminate the activities of oil thieves and oil pipeline vandals in the Niger Delta Region, air strikes conducted by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe on December 23, 2023, destroyed six illegal oil refining sites in Opu Arugbana, located in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“The illicit sites were observed clustered within a radius of about 80 metres at a location approximately 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana. Once their operational status was verified, authorisation was secured to demolish the six sites, dissuading criminals from persisting in their unlawful acts.”
The director emphasised that despite the festive season, air operations against oil thieves and other criminals across the country would persist.
“Even during the festive season, air operations against criminals in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country continue without interruption. Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff, who spent Christmas day with troops in the Northeast and is presently in Katsina with troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, has commended the efforts of the Air Component Commanders in all theaters of operation. He urges them not to relent until criminal activities are minimized to the barest minimum,” added the statement.