Sele Media Africa www.selemedia.org Reported by Amos Dachung – Sele Media Africa Reporter
NAF Air Interdictions in 117 Missions, 189 Sorties Boost Nigeria’s Crude Oil Output
Abuja — The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), through the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (AC OPDS), has revealed that intensified air interdiction and surveillance operations have helped significantly reduce crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, leading to a measurable increase in Nigeria’s crude production. According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF aircraft carried out 117 missions and 189 sorties between May and August 2025, covering 192 flight hours. Among other achievements, these operations destroyed dozens of illegal refining facilities including cooking tanks, reservoirs, and drums used for illicit refining. Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye, commanding AC OPDS, said this effort was part of following a directive from the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, to increase operational activity across all theatres. These air actions took place across multiple states in the Niger Delta—including Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River—and involved daily helicopter sorties, pipeline patrols, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Thanks to these operations, Nigeria’s crude oil output saw a rise. In July 2025, the country averaged 1.71 million barrels per day (mbpd) including condensates, with crude oil alone averaging 1.51 mbpd, marking growth compared to earlier in the year. Air Vice‑Marshal Francis Edosa, Chief of Training & Operations, emphasized the economic value of combining intelligence‑driven air missions with kinetic strikes. He affirmed that the operations underscore how security initiatives can protect National revenue and infrastructure when properly executed.
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