Precious Obogo
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified air operations in the Niger Delta, recording significant successes in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft and the protection of vital national assets. Through its 115 Special Operations Group (115 SOG), which hosts the Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE (OPDS), NAF has maintained a high tempo of aerial missions across the region, dismantling illegal refining sites and disrupting the logistics of criminal networks.
Between January and May 2025, the Air Component of OPDS executed over 173 missions and 265 sorties, accumulating approximately 270 flying hours in support of joint military operations and independent strikes across key oil-producing states including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
During these operations, airstrikes destroyed more than 100 illegal refining sites, 53 boats, 74 cooking tanks, 2 reservoirs, and several transport vehicles.
These actions significantly degraded the capacity of oil thieves and vandals operating along critical corridors such as Buguma, Imo River, Port Harcourt, Okrika, Egbema/Ohaji, and the Trans Niger Pipeline Right of Way.
The operations are aligned with national efforts to curb militancy, stop environmental degradation caused by illegal refining, and protect strategic oil and gas infrastructure, the backbone of Nigeria’s economy.
While the Nigerian Air Force continues to promote civil-military cooperation and community development in the region, it emphasises that the kinetic component of its campaign remains essential to uprooting entrenched criminal networks. These sustained air operations underscore NAF’s commitment to national security and economic stability by ensuring that Nigeria’s oil heartland remains secure and productive.