In a determined effort to combat the ongoing activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs who have been illegally tapping into oil pipelines and siphoning crude oil and its products, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully conducted a series of targeted operations resulting in the destruction of 13 illegal refining sites and ten overhead tanks.
The operations were announced in a recent statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet. According to the statement, these operations were carried out along the Imo River,Â
Specificallynear the areas of Obuzor and Okoloma, where several active illegal refining sites were discovered. The statement highlighted that these sites were strategically located in difficult-to-access terrains, which the criminals had been exploiting to carry out their illicit activities.
The Nigerian Air Force, utilizing the sophisticated weaponry on board their aircraft, launched a series of precision strikes that led to the complete destruction of 13 of these illegal refining sites. Additionally, ten overhead tanks,
Which were connected to reservoirs used for storing the illegally refined products, were also destroyed. The operation was comprehensive, ensuring that the illegal infrastructures were completely neutralized, rendering them unusable by the criminals.
The statement further elaborated on the thoroughness of the mission. As the Air Force crew extended their patrol downstream, they observed suspicious activity along the riverbank. A six-tyre tipper truck was spotted, with four canoes in the process of loading illegal oil products into the truck. Upon noticing the presence of the aircraft, the criminals were seen fleeing the scene in disarray.
The Air Force, after conducting a thorough scan of the area, decided to take decisive action. Both the truck and the canoes, which were essential to the illegal operation, were targeted and subsequently destroyed by the air strikes.
These operations are part of a broader, ongoing effort by the Nigerian Air Force and other security agencies to clamp down on the rampant oil theft and illegal refining activities that have plagued the Niger Delta region for years. The destruction of these illegal sites is a significant blow to the operations of the oil thieves, who have caused considerable damage to the nation’s economy and environment.
Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet emphasized that the Nigerian Air Force remains committed to ensuring the security of the nation’s resources and will continue to carry out such operations as long as these illegal activities persist. The Air Force, alongside other security forces, is determined to curtail these acts of economic sabotage and restore order and safety in the affected regions.
These actions by the Nigerian Air Force are not only a testament to their capabilities but also a clear message to those involved in these illegal activities that their actions will not go unchecked. The government is determined to protect its resources, and these recent operations are a significant step in that direction.
PRESS RELEASE
13 ILLEGAL REFINING SITES, 10 OVERHEAD TANKS, TIPPER TRUCK DESTROYED BY AIR STRIKES NEAR OBUZOR AND OKOLOMA
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 require drastic measures.
In line with this, the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe has increased its rate of patrol, especially within the Niger Delta region, with the aim of locating illegal oil refining sites and destroying them. In arguably one of its most successful operations conducted along the Imo River near Obuzor and Okoloma, several active illegal refining sites were discovered to be taking advantage of the difficult terrain to perpetrate their illegalities.
These sites, about 13 in number, were subsequently destroyed after the crew employed the weapons on board the aircraft. Several overhead tanks connected to reservoirs as well as numerous gallons were also destroyed in the process. In all 13 illegal sites, 10 overhead tanks and several gallons of illegally refined products were effectively destroyed.
Same day, while the crew extended their patrol down stream, they spotted a 6-tyre tipper truck along the riverbank with 4 canoes seen loading illegal products into the truck. After a thorough scan of the area and observing the criminals dispersed in disarray upon siting the aircraft, the truck as well as the canoes, were attacked and destroyed.
The crew then continued their patrol over the Trans Niger Pipeline from Rumuekpe-Nkpoku to Bonny, which included the following points: End Point, Bodo trunk line, Point, Small line attachment, Nkpoku-New Ebubu Trunkline and Rumuekpe-Nkpoku line with no unusual activity observed.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has since commended the Air Component for their commitment and resolve to diminish the activities of oil thieves in the Niger Delta Region.
Edward Gabkwet
Air Vice Marshal
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force
11 August 2024
