Navy smashes crude oil thieves in South South, South West

By Philip Nwosu

The Nigerian Navy said it has smashed a gang of crude oil thieves through Operation Delta Sanity II, which was launched in December 2024.

The Navy said its operatives attached to Operation Delta Sanity II carried out multiple raids across the South-South and South West regions, seizing over 129,000 litres of stolen crude oil, intercepting smuggled fuel, and dismantling several illegal refining sites.

In a statement issued by the navy’s spokesman, Commodore Awiypr Adams-Aliu, the operatives targeted wooden and fiber boats transporting stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products across Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo states.

Among the key interceptions were two wooden boats loaded with drums of premium motor spirit (PMS) allegedly being smuggled to Cameroon. Additionally, several illicit refining sites were uncovered and dismantled in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Ondo.

One of the largest operations, according to the Navy occurred in February in Egbema West, Rivers State, where naval forces discovered and destroyed extensive illegal refinery installations. The site housed approximately 70 ovens, 40 reservoirs, and 50 dug-out pits containing an estimated 50,000 liters of stolen crude oil and 5,000 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

In another major raid , also in February,Navy operatives dismantled a Bayelsa State illegal refinery site in Ekeremor Local Government Area, seizing over 30,000 liters of stolen crude oil along with multiple refining ovens.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, commended naval personnel for their efforts in Operation Delta Sanity II, emphasizing the force’s unwavering commitment to securing Nigeria’s maritime domain. He noted that the operations have contributed to the recent increase in daily crude oil output, which the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) now reports at approximately 1.75 million barrels per day.

Operation Delta Sanity II, is part of a broader Nigerian Navy strategy to combat oil theft, protect critical national infrastructure, and ensure security along the country’s waterways. The Navy urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, highlighting that community cooperation is crucial in sustaining the fight against maritime crime.