By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that its jet belonging to the air component of Operation Delta Safe has bombed three boats while allegedly stealing crude oil from a pipeline in Rivers State.
The jet struck the boat during one of its operations conducted around a riverine area between Bonny Island and South of Port Harcourt on Saturday, 5 August 2023.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet, who confirmed the development, said the crew discovered and destroyed an active illegal refining site with tanks and reservoirs loaded with suspected illegal refined products at the Idama area of Rivers.
“These are not the best of times for oil thieves and their accomplices in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria as the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe continues to strike at the heart of their activities.”
“One of such operation occurred on Saturday, August 5, 2023, at about 4 nautical miles South-East of Bille, a riverine area located west of Bonny Island and South of Port Harcourt, in Rivers State ”