The Nigerian Air Force announced on Sunday that it apprehended a group of terrorists in Niger State and freed some cattle previously rustled by the criminals.
In recent coordinated air attacks, the NAF claimed it destroyed multiple illegal oil refineries in Rivers State and killed scores of militants in Niger State.
The Nigerian Air Force’s Director of Public Relations and Information, AVM Edward Gabkwet, revealed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
He added that after receiving a tip, the NAF descended on terrorists hiding in Dandunu after rustling livestock from communities along the Kuchi-Kapana axis in Niger’s Munya Local Government Area.
Gabkwet stated that the NAF apprehended the terrorists on nine motorcycles leading the rustled cattle.
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According to him, the aircraft struck the motorcycle-riding terrorists multiple times, killing the majority of them in the process.
“The feedback from locals around the location has so far been positive, with most of them being able to recover the rustled cattle and returning to their livelihoods,” he added.
Gabkwet noted that as the operations of oil thieves and economic saboteurs became more sophisticated, the NAF and other security agencies re-evaluated their strategies to stay ahead of the game.
He stated that in most cases, oil thieves had found new techniques to conceal their overhead tanks, which were used to store stolen crude oil products from busted pipelines in the Niger-Delta region.
According to him, they continued to use fast speedboats to transport stolen goods.
In response, Gabkwet stated that the NAF and other security agencies have improved their game by acquiring modern equipment and hardware that allows them to detect and deter the operations of oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
“In Willcourt, a riverine settlement within the creeks of Niger Delta Region, the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe sighted and destroyed three illegal refining sites.”
“The site has a total number of seven overhead tanks concealed under thick mangrove vegetation.
“Similarly, about five kilometres downstream, four boats were also sighted moving southwards with suspected illegally refined products. Our men attacked and destroyed the boats.
“While heading back, the crew spotted a speedboat with five suspected oil thieves fleeing the area.
“Upon sighting the aircraft, the criminals increased speed, hoping to evade the aircraft but the air component then pursued the speedboat until they arrived at the blocking zone of ground troops where they were arrested,” he said.
