Nigerian Navy Intensifies Oil Theft Crackdown, Records Multi-Billion Naira Seizures — DINFO
Oru Leonard
The Nigerian Navy has ramped up its offensive against crude oil theft under Operation Delta Sentinel, recording major breakthroughs across inland and maritime domains in Rivers State, with seizures valued at billions of naira.
Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed that the sustained operations, spearheaded by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, have significantly disrupted illegal refining networks and crude oil storage systems operated by economic saboteurs.
According to him, acting on credible intelligence, anti-crude oil theft patrol teams deployed to the Ndoni/Egbema axis uncovered a large illegal refining site in Umoku, Ndoni. The site featured multiple dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used for processing stolen crude oil.
He revealed that the Navy discovered about 708,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene, alongside approximately 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored in pits. The recovered products were estimated at over ₦1.06 billion for refined products and about ₦288 million for crude oil.
“The perpetrators fled upon sighting the patrol team, while the products were handled in line with established operational procedures,” Folorunsho said.
In a separate operation, Forward Operating Base Bonny, supported by naval air assets, uncovered and deactivated several illegal crude oil storage sites in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area. The operation led to the recovery of about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil valued at over ₦215 million.
Providing further details, the naval spokesman noted that the latest operations build on earlier successes recorded between January and March 2026, during which more than 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined products worth over ₦600 million were recovered, alongside the dismantling of multiple illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta.
He added that maritime interdictions have also strengthened the Navy’s campaign, with the arrest of three vessels—Motor Tankers MKPODU, WESTAF, and STELIOS K—carrying over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil, equivalent to about 1.04 million litres valued at approximately ₦967 million.
Folorunsho emphasized that the combination of inland raids and maritime enforcement underscores a deliberate multi-domain strategy designed to dismantle the entire crude oil theft value chain and safeguard Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, has approved a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel to sustain the operational momentum and intensify pressure on criminal networks.
The Nigerian Navy reiterated its commitment to protecting critical national infrastructure and ensuring that perpetrators of oil theft are brought to justice.
