…Safeguard Oil Infrastructure in Niger Delta

By: Kingsley Omonobi

In a decisive campaign against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has neutralized more than 100 illegal refinery sites and significantly disrupted criminal operations in the Niger Delta over the past five months.

According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information for the NAF, intensified air operations conducted by the 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG)—which hosts the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS)—achieved remarkable successes between January and May 2025.

During this period, the Air Component flew 173 missions and 265 sorties, amassing approximately 270 flight hours. These aerial efforts targeted major oil-producing states, including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.

“Through sustained aerial surveillance and precision strikes, NAF aircraft destroyed more than 100 illegal refining sites, 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, 2 crude oil reservoirs, and several transport vehicles,” Ejodame stated.

These operations effectively degraded the logistics and operational capacities of oil thieves across strategic corridors, including Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Egbema/Ohaji, and the Trans Niger Pipeline Right of Way.

Ejodame emphasized that the air operations are part of a broader national strategy to combat militancy, prevent environmental damage caused by illegal refining, and protect critical oil and gas infrastructure vital to Nigeria’s economy.

While reaffirming the NAF’s ongoing commitment to civil-military cooperation and regional development, he noted that the “kinetic” approach—through precise military strikes—remains necessary to uproot deeply entrenched criminal syndicates.

“These sustained air operations demonstrate the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering dedication to national security and economic stability by ensuring the continued safety of Nigeria’s oil heartland,” he concluded.