Sustained air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on illegal refineries have significantly boosted Nigeria’s oil output to 1.71 million barrels per day in the Niger Delta.

The commander of the air component of Operation Delta Safe (AC OPDS), Abdulafeez Opaleye, made this known during a periodic brief at the NAF Headquarters on Friday in Abuja.

According to a statement by NAF spokesman Ehimen Ejodame, Mr Opaleye said daily sorties were choking oil theft networks across seven Niger Delta states following the directive of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.

He explained that the operations neutralised 12 criminals, arrested six suspects, destroyed illegal refining camps, and eliminated cooking tanks and reservoirs.

“Between May and August, our platforms flew sustained ISR, armed reconnaissance, and pipeline patrol missions across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states.

“Each mission not only degraded criminal capacity but also reinforced deterrence, making sabotage riskier and less profitable,” he said.

Mr Opaleye noted that the security gains were translating into improved oil output.

“In July 2025, total production averaged 1.71 million barrels per day, including condensates, while crude oil alone stood at 1.51 million barrels per day,” he added.

In his brief, the chief of training and operations (NAF), AVM Francis Edosa, said the unit executed 117 missions, 189 sorties, and 192 flight hours from May to July.

Mr Edosa added that the operations consumed more than 60,000 litres of Jet A-1 fuel and destroyed 25 cooking tanks, 11 reservoirs, and three drums used in illegal refining.

“These actions prove that intelligence-driven air operations deliver both security and economic dividends,” Mr Edosa said.

He reiterated the NAF’s commitment to sustaining the tempo towards stabilising the Niger Delta, safeguarding oil revenues, and ensuring Nigeria’s skies remain hostile to saboteurs but safe for legitimate operators.

(NAN)