In a bid to curtail the activities of oil thieves and economic saboteurs in their illegal acts of bursting oil pipelines and siphoning crude oil and its products, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced the destruction of 13 illegal refining sites and ten overhead tanks.

In a statement, the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet said operations conducted along the Imo River near Obuzor and Okoloma, several active illegal refining sites were discovered to be taking advantage of the difficult terrain to perpetrate their illegalities.

The statement added that the Nigerian Airforce destroyed 13 sites after the crew employed the weapons on board the aircraft. Ten overhead tanks connected to reservoirs and numerous gallons were also destroyed in the process.

The statement further added that while the crew extended their patrol downstream, they spotted a six-tyre tipper truck along the riverbank with four canoes seen loading illegal products into the truck and after a thorough scan of the area and observing the criminals dispersed in disarray upon siting the aircraft, the truck as well as the canoes, were attacked and destroyed.

“Same day, while the crew extended their patrol down stream, they spotted a 6-tyre tipper truck along the riverbank with 4 canoes seen loading illegal products into the truck. After a thorough scan of the area and observing the criminals dispersed in disarray upon siting the aircraft, the truck as well as the canoes, were attacked and destroyed. The crew then continued their patrol over the Trans Niger Pipeline from Rumuekpe-Nkpoku to Bonny, which included the following points: End Point, Bodo trunk line, Point, Small line attachment, Nkpoku-New Ebubu Trunkline and Rumuekpe-Nkpoku line with no unusual activity observed.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has since commended the Air Component for their commitment and resolve to diminish the activities of oil thieves in the Niger Delta Region,” the statement reads.