The present circumstances have turned unfavorable for oil thieves and their collaborators operating within the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, as the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) relentlessly targets their illicit activities. An exemplification of such endeavors took place on Saturday, August 5, 2023, approximately 4 Nautical Miles South-East of Bille, a riverine vicinity situated to the west of Bonny Island and to the south of Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
READ MORE NEWS: NaijaEcho: news at home..
The necessity for the aerial operations arose when three boats were detected extracting crude oil from a pipeline. Consequently, the aircraft engaged and effectively destroyed the boats. During their flight towards Port Harcourt, the flight crew also observed an operational site for unauthorized refining activities, equipped with tanks and reservoirs laden with suspected illicitly refined products. This site, positioned about 4 miles South-east of Idama in Rivers State, was subsequently subjected to attack and obliteration.
The continued utilization of air strikes against these individuals engaging in economic sabotage will be maintained until they cease their theft and disruptive actions. Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the Chief of the Air Staff, has issued directives to all air component commanders across the nation, urging them to collaborate with other security agencies and persist in deploying air strikes against criminal elements throughout the country. In his words, “The era of treating criminal elements in our nation with leniency is over. We must persist in this course until we compel them all to surrender.”
Visit: NaijaEcho: news at home.. For More Updates.
Also READ: Troops repel Boko Haram attack in Monguno, Borno State.