KEY POINTS
- The Navy deactivated 71 illegal refinery sites.
- Over 411,000 litres of stolen crude recovered.
- Crackdown boosts Nigeria’s oil production stability.
The Nigerian Navy has ramped up its offensive against oil theft, shutting down 71 illegal refinery sites and recovering 411,000 litres of stolen crude in a single month. The July operation, concentrated across the Niger Delta, underscores the growing urgency to protect the country’s oil assets from persistent criminal networks.
In its monthly operational report released Friday, Director of Naval Information Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu said the successes came under Operation Delta Sanity—a sweeping campaign designed to root out illegal oil refining, sabotage, and maritime crime. The latest crackdown stretched across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.
Massive fuel seizures and site destruction
Troops destroyed 120 dugout pits and illegal storage facilities, dismantling the makeshift infrastructure that fueled the illicit trade. The operation denied criminals access to 411,400 litres of crude, 87,825 litres of illegally refined diesel, 72,000 litres of kerosene, and 21,900 litres of petrol.
One of the most significant raids occurred on July 4, when naval units stormed Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni in Rivers State. There, they uncovered over 66,000 litres of suspected crude and 40,000 litres of diesel. Another wave of operations on July 14 thwarted smuggling attempts to Cameroon, with officers discovering underground reservoirs brimming with stolen crude.
Illegal oil refinery networks face disruption
By late July, the Navy had dismantled two large-scale illegal oil refinery operations in Bayelsa’s Biseni community, recovering 450,000 litres of crude oil. The sweep also intercepted several wooden boats used to smuggle fuel and led to the arrest of six suspected traffickers.
Commodore Adams-Aliu credited the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla for sustaining the offensive. He linked the Navy’s efforts to a recent production milestone announced by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission—oil output now exceeds 1.8 million barrels per day.
Impact on oil theft trends
The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s data underscores the significant stakes involved. Between 2009 and 2020, Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of oil worth N16.25 trillion ($10.83 billion) to theft. While the country lost 36.69 million barrels to theft in 2022, the figure fell to 7.68 million barrels in 2023, thanks to tighter security and better resource management.
“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in ensuring maritime safety, deterring illicit activities, and safeguarding national security within our waters,” Adams-Aliu said.
