News Brief: Air Chief Warns Insecurity Could Threaten Peace in Kebbi Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has raised concerns over rising insecurity in Kebbi State, warning it could undermine the peace the state has long enjoyed if not urgently addressed. During a courtesy visit to Governor Nasir Idris in Birnin Kebbi, Abubakar cited the state’s vast terrain and borders with two neighbouring countries as unique security challenges. He pledged intensified aerial surveillance and operations to combat terrorist activities. Governor Idris urged the Federal Government to establish an Air Force base in Kebbi, highlighting the state’s quality airport and recent plans for a naval base in Yauri. #Kebbi #Security #NigerianAirForce #HassanAbubakar

🎯 No Civilians, Just Criminals: NAF Takes Out 49 Illegal Refineries in Niger Delta — According to The Sun In a powerful show of force and precision, the 115 Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), has taken down 49 illegal refineries, cooking tanks, and over 20 massive crude oil reservoirs used by oil thieves across the Niger Delta in the past five months. Speaking during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye stated that the air strikes are strictly targeted at criminal operations, not civilians. “Our strikes are designed to be as accurate as possible. So far, there have been no civilian casualties, and we remain extremely cautious in that regard,” he emphasized. According to The Sun, the Air Force’s precision strikes, carried out using attack helicopters, also destroyed 16 large boats used for crude oil theft and smuggling. The operations involved 172 sorties and logged over 268 hours of flight time, consuming 87,938 liters of Jet A1 fuel. A major highlight was the March 27 air raid on Egbema Ohaji, which dismantled a critical illegal refining hub. Opaleye credited the success to coordinated Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), including UAVs and aircraft from the NAF Headquarters. The Commander further detailed how oil thieves have adapted by relocating operations up to 15 kilometers into forested mangroves—yet the Air Force has remained one step ahead, detecting and striking these remote sites with surgical precision. Beyond air missions, the 115 SOG has deployed ground troops for joint internal security operations, strengthening law enforcement in volatile regions. Acknowledging the strategic impact, Opaleye linked the rise in Nigeria’s oil production—from 1.2 million to 1.85 million barrels per day—to these air operations, especially in areas inaccessible to ground forces. Backed by top-tier air assets like EC-135, T-129 ATAK, and Mi-35 gunships, the unit remains a formidable aerial force known as the “home of combat helicopters.” Commendations also poured in from Navy Commander Goddy Egbunu and Defence Media Operations, praising the team’s leadership and impact on national security. ⸻ #NAFOperations #CrudeOilTheft #DeltaSafe #NigerianAirForce #OilRefineryBust #NAFAirStrikes