Airstrikes conducted by the air component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) have successfully destroyed three illegal refining sites in Rivers State and three militants/pirates camps in Cross River State.
The director of public relations and information, Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet, said the airstrikes were executed in continuation of efforts aimed at containing the activities of terrorists, militants and other criminal elements bent on destabilizing the nation and making life unbearable for peace-loving Nigerians.
He said the air component of OPDS on 27 August carried out air interdiction missions on some illegal refining sites located at Cawthorne Channels, Bille and Gogokori in Degema local Government area of Rivers State.
He said the airstrikes were undertaken after the sites were observed to consist of illegal refining sites. He said at Gogokori, a Cotonou boat observed to be loaded with illegal refined products and heading into open waters was also engaged and destroyed.
The Director said similar strikes were conducted at Idama in Akuku‐toru local government area and Omoma in Degema local government area of Rivers State following intelligence of refining activities at the two locations.
Overhead both locations, he said the team sited active illegal refining sites with reservoirs suspected to contain illegally refined products.
He said the reservoirs were subsequently engaged, destroyed and engulfed in flames.
Earlier on 25 August, the air component attacked identified militants/pirates’ camps in Cross River State. He identified the various militants/pirates’ Camps as; Big Joe’s Camp, Sunny’s Camp, Davids’ Camp in Bakassi local government area and Amos Camps in Calabar South local government Area.
The NAF spokesman added that the air strikes were authorized after confirming the locations to be littered with criminals and their activities. “The strikes led to pandemonium with several kidnapped victims seen escaping.”
He hinted that some of the militants who attempted to escape through their various escape routes were mopped up.
“In one of the suspected kidnappers’ camps, a lone structure suspected to be harboring some kidnapped victims with armed men roaming around the structure was also attacked using guns on board the aircraft”, he said.
Furthermore, in the Northeast, strikes were conducted on 25 August at Chinene, a persistent terrorists’ hideout in Mandara mountains which has been struck on several occasions in the past.
The air component having observed the area to continually host gathering of terrorists and their activities, struck the location with several terrorists neutralized while others fled for their lives.
He appealed that the NAF alongside other security agencies remain focused in undertaking their assigned tasks.
He therefore, called Nigerians to see themselves as part of the solution to these challenges through the provision of actionable information to security agencies.