APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, has said that the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe has in the last two months, destroyed more than 30 illegal oil refining site in strikes around Cawthorne Channel and Bille in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State in Southeastern Nigeria.
Gabkwet said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the air strikes ramped up efforts at denying oil thieves and operators of illegal oil refining sites the opportunity to burst pipelines, operate their illegal oil refineries sites while damaging the environment.
He disclosed that the air strikes conducted at Cawthorne Channel on Friday destroyed four active illegal refining sites with dug out reservoirs and surface storage tanks suspected to be containing illegal refined products.
According to him, similar air strikes were also conducted at Bille on Saturday and in the early hours of Sunday, which destroyed three illegal oil refining sites with storage tanks and reservoirs.
“In one of the sites, a Cotonou boat suspected to be siphoning crude oil from a flow station was engaged in several passes and destroyed.
“In the last two months, Cawthorne Channel and Bille have accounted for the majority of oil theft and illegal oil refining activities in Rivers State.
“Within this period, over 30 illegal oil refining sites in these two locations were destroyed by the Land, Maritime and Air Components of Operation Delta Safe.
“These efforts will be sustained in these locations and others until oil thieves and their accomplices desist from their illegal activities,” local media reports on Monday quoted Gabkwet as saying.
GIK/APA
Nigerian Air Force destroys over 30 illegal oil refining sites in Rivers State
