The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed more than 100 illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta over the past five months, intensifying its campaign against oil theft and environmental destruction.Operating under Operation DELTA SAFE, the Air Component—led by the 115 Special Operations Group—has conducted 173 missions and 265 sorties, logging over 270 flight hours between January and May 2025.

“These precision strikes have significantly disrupted the logistics and operational capacity of criminal syndicates operating in the region,” said Air Vice Marshal Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information for the NAF.

The operations spanned key oil-producing states including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. In the process, airstrikes destroyed not only refining sites but also 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, two crude oil reservoirs, and several vehicles used to transport stolen crude.

“These efforts targeted key operational corridors for oil thieves, including Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, and Egbema/Ohaji,” Ejodame added.The NAF stated that the crackdown supports national security goals by curbing massive economic losses, reducing environmental degradation, and protecting vital infrastructure.

“The Nigerian Air Force remains resolute in its commitment to national stability and economic recovery. Securing Nigeria’s oil-producing zones is central to restoring law and order and safeguarding the country’s most valuable resources,” the statement noted.