The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has ramped up its air operations across the Niger Delta, recording major gains in the battle against crude oil theft and the protection of key national infrastructure.
Confirming the report, Director of Public Relations and Information Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said operating through its 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG), which hosts the Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE (OPDS), the NAF has sustained a high tempo of aerial missions aimed at dismantling illegal refining sites and disrupting the logistics of criminal networks.
Between January and May 2025, the Air Component executed over 173 missions and 265 sorties, totaling around 270 flying hours. These missions supported both joint military operations and precision strikes across key oil-producing states, including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
In the course of these operations, airstrikes neutralized more than 100 illegal refining sites, 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, two reservoirs, and several transport vehicles. These efforts significantly weakened the operational capacity of oil thieves and pipeline vandals, particularly along strategic corridors such as Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Egbema/Ohaji, and the Trans Niger Pipeline Right of Way.
The intensified operations align with national objectives to combat militancy, halt environmental degradation, and safeguard Nigeria’s vital oil and gas infrastructure.
While the NAF continues to promote civil-military cooperation and development initiatives in the region, it has reaffirmed that kinetic military actions remain crucial to dismantling entrenched criminal networks. These sustained air operations underscore NAF’s unwavering commitment to national security and economic stability.
