The hierarchy of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Friday disclosed that air interdictions carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (AC OPHD) eliminated over 25 terrorists in a coordinated night operation at Bula Yobe and Banki, Borno State, on 18 September 2025.
A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, stated that the operation followed intelligence reports from ground troops.
He added that a force package comprising Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and attack aircraft was subsequently deployed.
Ejodame noted that the ISR platform established contact with ground forces, tracked terrorist movements, and identified multiple hostile groups north of Banki.
He explained that real-time updates were relayed to both ground troops and base operations, enabling synchronised action.
“Subsequently, the strike aircraft engaged the terrorists in three successive precision strikes on their movement routes and assembly areas, effectively eliminating more than 25 fighters,” he said.
Post-strike surveillance, he added, confirmed the presence of ground forces in defensive positions, with no further threats observed in the area.
Ejodame said the successful mission underscores NAF’s commitment to supporting ground forces, denying terrorists freedom of movement, and ensuring the security of Nigeria’s North-East.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Nigerian Air Force claimed credit for the recent surge in Nigeria’s crude oil production, linking it to sustained air interdiction and ISR missions in the Niger Delta region.
Despite the Federal Government’s $144 million contract with Tantita Security Services to protect oil installations in the maritime environment, particularly in the Niger Delta, the NAF leadership attributed the rebound in national oil output to its own operations under the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe (AC OPDS).
In a statement titled “NAF Air Operations Drive Up Oil Output, Curb Economic Sabotage in the Niger Delta”, and signed by Air Commodore Ejodame, the Air Force asserted that its air surveillance and interdiction missions have significantly hindered the activities of oil thieves.
“The NAF, through its Air Component at the 115 Special Operations Group in Port Harcourt, reinforced its role in protecting Nigeria’s energy infrastructure and reducing economic losses caused by oil theft and illegal refining. This renewed effort followed a directive by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, instructing all air components to intensify their operational tempo across various theatres,” the statement said.
According to Ejodame, during a periodic briefing on 19 September 2025, the Commander of AC OPDS, Group Captain Abdulafeez Opaleye, reported that daily helicopter sorties across multiple states in the Niger Delta had disrupted access by saboteurs to pipelines, illegal refineries, and logistics hubs.
“These actions are contributing to a measurable rebound in national oil output, as evidenced in current industry statistics,” Ejodame stated.
He explained that NAF’s sustained presence over mangrove, riverine, and coastal terrains has become a critical layer of defence for Nigeria’s economic lifeline.
“Between May and August 2025, surveillance and attack platforms conducted multiple ISR, Armed Reconnaissance, and Pipeline Patrol missions across Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States.
“These missions reportedly uncovered and destroyed dozens of illegal refining facilities, neutralised militant camps, and dismantled illicit oil theft networks,” he said.
The spokesperson said the operations also destroyed cooking tanks, reservoirs, and other equipment used in illegal refining.
He said, “Each mission not only degraded criminal capacity but also reinforced deterrence, making it riskier and less profitable for saboteurs to operate”.
He further disclosed that the gains recorded coincided with a steady rise in Nigeria’s oil output.
“In July 2025, Nigeria’s total oil production reportedly averaged 1.71 million barrels per day (mbpd), including condensates, while crude oil output alone stood at approximately 1.51 mbpd.
“This figure reflects a consistent month-on-month rise from earlier in the year and is broadly attributed to the enhanced security environment, particularly the operations spearheaded or supported by AC OPDS in the Niger Delta. These efforts have helped reduce disruptions caused by sabotage and theft,” the statement asserted.
The Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), Air Vice Marshal Francis Edosa, provided further insight into the scale of operations from May to July 2025.
He said the Air Component carried out 117 missions and 189 sorties, totalling 192 flight hours, and consumed over 60,000 litres of Jet A-1 aviation fuel.
He stated that within this period, troops destroyed 25 illegal cooking tanks, 11 lreservoirs, and 3 drums used in refining stolen crude.
“These actions have proven that kinetic and intelligence-driven air operations can yield both security and economic dividends. The Nigerian Air Force reaffirms its commitment to further stabilising the Niger Delta, safeguarding national oil revenue, and ensuring that the skies remain hostile to sabotage and safe for legitimate production,” Edosa said.
Linus Aleke
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