The Air Component of Operation Delta Safe on Saturday, 23 December, 2023, destroyed six illegal oil refining sites in Opu Arugbana in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, in a statement issued Tuesday said it was in continuation of efforts to rid the Niger Delta Region of activities of oil thieves and oil pipeline vandals.
He noted that the illegal sites were sighted clustered within a radius of about 80 metres at a location about six nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana.
Gabkwet stressed that having been confirmed to be active, authorisation was obtained to destroy the six sites, thus discouraging the criminals from continuing with their acts of illegality.
He said despite the festive season, air operations against criminals in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country continue unabated.
He added that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, who spent the Christmas day with troops in the Northeast and currently in Katsina to fete troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, has commended the efforts of the Air Component Commanders in all the theatres of operation while calling on them not to rest until criminal activities are reduced to the barest minimum.
