8th August, 2023
By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) destroyed boats carrying stolen crude oil as part of operations to combat oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, NAF Director of Public Relations, made the announcement in an Abuja statement on Monday.
Gabkwet stated that the air component blasted three boats carrying stolen crude oil on Saturday near Bille, a riverine area west of Bonny Island and south of Port Harcourt in Rivers.
According to him, the boats were seen extracting crude oil from a pipeline.
He also stated that the crew discovered an operating illegal refining site with tanks and reservoirs full of suspected illegally refined products, roughly 4 miles south-east of Idama, also in Rivers.
He claims the site has subsequently been targeted and destroyed.
“Air strikes against these economic saboteurs will be sustained until they desist from their acts of thievery and economic sabotage.
“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has since directed all air component commanders nationwide to ensure they team up with other security agencies to sustain air strikes on all criminal elements in the country.
“He said that the days of treating criminal elements with kid gloves are over, saying that NAF must continue on its trajectory until they bring all of them to their knees,” he said.
NAN