The Illegal sites were said to be clustered within an approximately 80-meter radius, situated approximately 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana.
A statement on Tuesday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said permission to bomb the refining sites was granted once they found out the sites were operational.
The statement read, “In continuation of efforts to rid the Niger Delta Region of activities of oil thieves and oil pipeline vandals, air strikes by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe, on 23 December 2023, destroyed six illegal oil refining sites in Opu Arugbana in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“The illegal sites were sighted clustered within a radius of about 80 metres at a location about 6 nautical miles south of Opu Arugbana. Having been confirmed to be active, authorization was obtained to destroy the 6 sites, thus discouraging the criminals from continuing with their acts of illegality.”
He noted that the service would continue air raids against oil thieves and other criminals across the country despite the festive period.
“Despite the festive season, air operations against criminals in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country continue unabated. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, who spent Christmas day with troops in the Northeast and is currently in Katsina to fete troops of Operation Hadarin Daji, has commended the efforts of the Air Component Commanders in all the theatres of operation while calling on them not to rest until criminal activities are reduced to the barest minimum”, the statement added.
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