The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has revealed that airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force destroyed over 70 illegal refining sites and about 80 overhead tanks in the past three months.
The Air Chief revealed this when he received the National Coordinator of Messrs New Guard Security and Consulting Limited, Major-General Jamil Sarham (Rtd) and his entourage at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
The CAS, in a statement by NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, speaking on the current state of oil production in Nigeria, emphasised the severe negative impact of oil theft and pipeline vandalism on Nigeria’s oil output.
He said the menace has led to a significant decline in crude oil production and substantial revenue losses to the nation.
Air Marshal Abubakar also highlighted the environmental consequences of these illegal activities including air pollution and waterway contamination with attendant effect on aquatic life and agriculture.
“It was in response to these challenges that the Armed Forces were mandated to eradicate the scourge of oil theft and pipeline vandalisation in the Niger Delta Region, with the aim of boosting oil production output,” he said.
The CAS further gave a summary of NAF’s involvement in combating illegal oil theft through Operation Delta Safe, particularly in the last 12 months.
“Over the past year, the NAF has conducted 463 sorties in 560 flight hours and expended 175,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel in air operations over the Niger Delta region.”
He also added that in bolstering these efforts, some newly inducted platforms have recently been deployed to the region and beyond to enable NAF cover more grounds as it liaises with other security agencies in degrading the activities of criminals in the region.
The CAS lauded Maj.-Gen. Sarham (Rtd) and his team’s exceptional military background, expressing optimism that their collaboration with security agencies in addressing the challenges of crude oil theft would add bite to the ongoing efforts.
He added that the visit laid a solid foundation for greater cooperation and synergy between the NAF and the security company with potential positive impacts on Nigeria’s national defense and security.
“The visit marked a pivotal step towards enhancing the security of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and addressing the economic and environmental challenges posed by oil theft,” the CAS said.
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