By Bavoriat Clara
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), through the Air Component of Operation DELTA SAFE (AC OPDS) under the 115 Special Operations Group, Port Harcourt, has intensified its campaign against oil theft and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, leading to measurable gains in national oil output.
In a statement released by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the renewed air offensive aligns with the directive of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, for air components across all theatres to ramp up operational tempo.
Providing an operational update on 19 September 2025, the Commander AC OPDS, Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye, disclosed that daily helicopter sorties across multiple Niger Delta states have denied saboteurs access to pipelines, illegal refineries, and logistics hubs. According to industry data, these missions have directly contributed to a steady rebound in Nigeria’s oil production.
“Between May and August 2025, our surveillance and attack platforms executed sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Armed Reconnaissance, and Pipeline Patrol missions over Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States,” he said. “These operations destroyed dozens of illegal refining facilities, neutralised militant camps, dismantled cooking tanks and reservoirs, and exposed illicit oil theft networks. Each mission reduced criminal capacity and reinforced deterrence, making sabotage riskier and less profitable.”
He further highlighted that the enhanced security posture coincides with an upward trajectory in Nigeria’s oil output. In July 2025, national production averaged 1.71 million barrels per day (mbpd), including condensates, while crude oil alone stood at 1.51 mbpd—a marked improvement attributed to improved security operations spearheaded by AC OPDS.
The Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), Air Vice Marshal Francis Edosa, added that operational records between May and July 2025 illustrate the intensity of the campaign: 117 missions, 189 sorties, and 192 flight hours; with ammunition expenditure, over 60,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel consumed, and the destruction of 25 cooking tanks, 11 reservoirs, and 3 drums used in illicit refining.
He stressed that these results confirm the dual value of air power in both safeguarding national security and boosting economic stability. The Nigerian Air Force reaffirmed its commitment to stabilising the Niger Delta, securing vital oil infrastructure, and ensuring uninterrupted national revenue flow.
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