The Nigerian Air Force personnel involved in Operation Delta Safe destroyed boats filled with stolen crude oil.
The military also mentioned that multiple unauthorized oil processing locations at Bille, Dariama, Elem Bekinkiri, Temakiri, Opumakiri, and Degema in Rivers State were demolished during missions carried out from March 25 to 26.
The military, in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, mentioned that a boat carrying illegally processed crude oil was sighted at Bille and destroyed, while at Dariama and Tumakiri, active unauthorized refining sites with storage containers and cooking pots were demolished.
The statement explained, “The Air Component of Operation Delta Safe has continued to carry out air strikes on unauthorized oil processing sites and boats carrying stolen crude oil products in the Niger Delta Region.
“The processing locations and boats destroyed were discovered between March 25 and 26, 2024, at Bille, Dariama, Elem Bekinkiri, Temakiri, Opumakiri, and Degema in Rivers State.
“At Bille, a boat filled with illegally processed products was seen navigating through the waterways and subsequently targeted. At Dariama and Tumakiri, active unauthorized refining sites with storage containers and cooking pots were identified to be active and subsequently engaged and destroyed.
“Unauthorized oil refining sites at Elem Bekinkiri and Opumakiri were, however, observed to consist of abandoned IRS.
“At Degema, multiple active unauthorized refining sites with storage containers filled with illegally processed products were observed and engaged accordingly, setting them on fire.
“It is important to note that some of the unauthorized refining sites at Bille and Dariama have been destroyed in the past but have been reactivated.
“Therefore, the NAF and other security agencies will continue to increase efforts to discover and disrupt the activities of the oil thieves operating in the region and beyond.”
The PUNCH reports that air operations carried out by Nigerian Air Force personnel led to the demolition of four unauthorized oil refining sites in Rivers State on March 3, 2024.
The demolished unauthorized oil refining sites were situated at Krakama, Temakiri, Abisse, and Omoma.
