The Nigerian Airforce has revealed that its airstrikes destroyed over 70 illegal refining sites and about 80 overhead tanks in the past three months.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar revealed this when he received the National Coordinator of Messrs New Guard Security and Consulting Limited, Major-General Jamil Sarham (Rtd) and his entourage at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, who revealed this in a statement said the Air Chief stated this while speaking on the current state of oil production in Nigeria.
He emphasised the severe negative impact of oil theft and pipeline vandalism on Nigeria’s oil output, adding that the menace has led to a significant decline in crude oil production and substantial revenue losses to the nation.
Air Marshal Abubakar also highlighted the environmental consequences of these illegal activities including air pollution and waterway contamination with attendant effect on aquatic life and agriculture.
The CAS further gave a summary of NAF’s involvement in combating illegal oil theft through Operation Delta Safe, particularly in the last 12 months.
He explained that over the past year, the NAF has conducted 463 sorties in 560 flight hours and expended 175,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel in air operations over the Niger Delta region.
The NAF chief added that in bolstering these efforts, some newly inducted platforms have recently been deployed to the region and beyond to enable force cover more grounds as it liaises with other security agencies in degrading the activities of criminals in the region.
The CAS lauded Major-General Sarham (Rtd) and his team’s exceptional military background, expressing optimism that their collaboration with security agencies in addressing the challenges of crude oil theft would improve ongoing efforts.
He added that the visit laid a solid foundation for greater cooperation and synergy between the NAF and the security company with potential positive impacts on Nigeria’s national defense and security.