NAF’s Fight Against Oil Theft Paying Off in Niger Delta

NAF’s Fight Against Oil Theft Paying Off in Niger Delt

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says its intensified air operations under Operation DELTA SAFE are significantly curbing oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta, leading to measurable gains in national oil production.

Speaking in Port Harcourt on Friday, the Commander of the Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE (AC OPDS), Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye, said daily helicopter sorties across multiple Niger Delta states have denied saboteurs access to pipelines, illegal refineries, and logistics hubs. He stressed that the presence of NAF platforms over mangrove, riverine, and coastal terrain is now a critical shield for Nigeria’s economic lifeline.

“Between May and August 2025, our surveillance and attack platforms conducted sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Armed Reconnaissance, and Pipeline Patrol missions over Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States,” he stated. According to him, these operations uncovered and destroyed dozens of illegal refining facilities, neutralised militant camps, destroyed cooking tanks and reservoirs, and disrupted illicit oil theft networks.

He added that each mission not only degraded criminal capacity but also reinforced deterrence, making oil theft riskier and less profitable for saboteurs. “This has coincided with a steady rise in Nigeria’s oil production,” he said.

Industry data referenced by the Air Component shows that Nigeria’s total oil output averaged 1.71 million barrels per day (mbpd) in July 2025, including condensates, while crude oil alone reached 1.51 mbpd. The rise, according to NAF, is closely linked to enhanced security operations that reduced disruptions from sabotage and theft.

Also speaking, the Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), Air Vice Marshal Francis Edosa, highlighted the scale of the air component’s achievements. From May through July 2025, AC OPDS executed 117 missions and 189 sorties, flying 192 hours, consuming over 60,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel, and expending ammunition in precision strikes. The missions destroyed 25 cooking tanks, 11 reservoirs, and three drums used in illegal refining processes.

Edosa noted that the results demonstrate how intelligence-driven and kinetic air operations can yield not just security dividends but also economic stability for the nation.

The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had earlier directed all air components to step up operational tempo across theatres, stressing that the fight against economic sabotage is as critical as counter-terrorism operations.

The Nigerian Air Force reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the momentum of air operations, stabilising the Niger Delta, and ensuring that oil thieves are denied the freedom to operate while legitimate oil production thrives.