Six illicit oil refinery installations near Opu Arugbana in Degema, Rivers State, have been destroyed by airstrikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) as part of Operation Delta Safe.

The targeted and demolished unlawful sites within an 80-meter radius were the targets of the precise attacks that were executed on December 23, 2023

Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, a spokesman for the National Air Force, stated in a statement that the operation was a calculated attempt to stop illicit oil refining operations and deter criminals from continuing these unlawful activities.

”In continuation of efforts to rid the Niger Delta Region of activities of oil thieves and oil pipeline vandals, air strikes by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe, on 23 December 2023, destroyed 6 illegal oil refining sites in Opu Arugbana in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.

”The illegal sites were sighted clustered within a radius of about 80 metres at a location about 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana.

”Having been confirmed to be active, authorization was obtained to destroy the 6 sites, thus discouraging the criminals from continuing with their acts of illegality.

Despite the festive season, air operations against criminals in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country continue unabated.

”The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, who spent the Christmas day with troops in the Northeast and currently in Katsina to fete troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, has commended the efforts of the Air Component Commanders in all the theatres of operation while calling on them not to rest until criminal activities are reduced to the barest minimum.”