…Operations Curb Economic Sabotage in Niger Delta
By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has disclosed that its Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (AC OPDS), operating from the 115 Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt, has intensified air interdiction and surveillance missions in the Niger Delta, significantly reducing oil theft and boosting Nigeria’s crude oil output.
According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF aircraft executed 117 missions and 189 sorties, logging 192 flight hours between May and August 2025. These operations expended ammunition, consumed over 60,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel, and resulted in the destruction of 25 cooking tanks, 11 reservoirs, and three drums used for illegal refining.
“This renewed push follows the directive of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, for air components to step up operational tempo across all theatres,” Ejodame stated on Friday, September 19, during a briefing delivered by Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye, Commander of AC OPDS.
Opaleye explained that daily helicopter sorties across Niger Delta states have disrupted the activities of oil saboteurs, denied them access to pipelines, illegal refineries, and logistics hubs, and helped secure Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
“The NAF’s presence above mangrove, riverine, and coastal terrains is now a critical defense of Nigeria’s economic lifeline,” he noted.
Between May and August 2025, AC OPDS surveillance and attack platforms conducted sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Armed Reconnaissance, and Pipeline Patrol missions across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. These operations uncovered and destroyed dozens of illegal refining sites, neutralized militant support camps, and exposed extensive oil theft networks.
Industry data indicates that these efforts have contributed to a measurable rebound in Nigeria’s crude oil production. In July 2025, the country recorded 1.71 million barrels per day (mbpd) including condensates, with crude oil alone averaging 1.51 mbpd — a steady rise compared to earlier in the year.
Chief of Training and Operations, Air Vice Marshal Francis Edosa, stressed that the detailed mission metrics highlight the economic impact of NAF’s campaign.
“These actions prove that kinetic and intelligence-driven air operations can deliver both security and economic dividends,” Edosa said.
The NAF reaffirmed its commitment to stabilising the Niger Delta, safeguarding national oil revenue, and ensuring that Nigeria’s skies remain unsafe for saboteurs but secure for legitimate oil production.
The post NAF Air interdictions in 117 missions, 189 sorties boost Nigeria’s crude oil output appeared first on Vanguard News.
