NAF air strikes destroy boats with stolen crude oil in Rivers state

Nigeria Air Force (NAF)’s Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) is poised to rain hell on oil thieves in the region as it continues to strike at the heart of their activities.

In a press statement made available to Politics Nigeria, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the OPDS carried out an operation on Saturday, 5 August, at about 4 Nautical Miles South-East of Bille, a riverine area located west of Bonny Island and South of Port Harcourt, in Rivers State.

He stated that the air strikes became necessary after three boats were sighted tapping crude oil from a pipeline. Consequently, the boats were engaged and destroyed by the aircraft.

According to him, flying towards Port Harcourt, the crew also observed an active illegal refining site with tanks and reservoirs loaded with suspected illegal refined products, about 4 miles South-east of Idama in Rivers State.

“The site was subsequently attacked and destroyed. Air strikes against these economic saboteurs will be sustained until they desist from their acts of thievery and economic sabotage,” the statement noted.

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He added that 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 as they sustain air strikes on all criminal elements in the country.

“The days of treating criminal elements in our country with kids’ gloves are over. We must continue on this trajectory until we bring all of them to their knees,” the statement added.