Nigerian Army oil thieves crackdown yields 28 arrests and 290k litres seized in joint security sweep across Niger Delta
Nigerian Army oil thieves crackdown in the Niger Delta has led to the arrest of 28 suspects, the dismantling of four illegal refineries, and the seizure of over 290,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in a sweeping joint operation.
Also read: ADC Suspends National Vice Chairman Usani Usani
Troops from 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, working alongside sister security agencies, executed the operations across Rivers, Abia, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States, in a renewed push to curb oil theft and sabotage of national assets.
Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the division, revealed in Port Harcourt that the troops struck after actionable intelligence exposed active bunkering and illegal refining activities in several key locations.
At Okrika, Rivers State, two wooden boats siphoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from a vessel at a jetty were intercepted.
Two additional boats containing over 38,000 litres of stolen petroleum were impounded in the same area.
Meanwhile, in Emohua LGA, troops disrupted operations at a pipeline tap point where a tanker suspected of loading 90,000 litres of stolen product was seized.
Two suspects—the driver and his assistant—were arrested on the spot.
In Abua/Odual, over 2,600 litres of illegally refined diesel were recovered, while illegal refining equipment and over 2,500 litres of crude oil were discovered along the Imo River axis in Ukwa West, Abia State.
Elsewhere in Delta State, one suspect was arrested at the PAN Ocean Pipeline right of way in Ethiope East LGA, while troops recovered vandalised pipes, hoses, and a haul of stolen products across several vehicles including a Peugeot 406, Toyota Camry, Jeep, and a lorry van carrying over 1,650 litres of oil.
A Mercedes-Benz truck conveying 14-inch pipes and gas cylinders, believed to have been removed from SEPCO Oil and Gas infrastructure, was also intercepted in Ndokwa West.
In Ughelli North, a Toyota Hiace bus filled with 10 drums of condensates was stopped, and the driver was apprehended.
Operations extended to Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, where both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies were employed to suppress criminal elements and reassert control over oil infrastructure zones.
General Officer Commanding, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Eric Emekah, lauded the troops’ success, encouraging them to maintain the tempo in combating economic sabotage, and ensuring peace and stability in the Niger Delta.
Also read: ADC Suspends National Vice Chairman Usani Usani
“This is about protecting national wealth and enforcing accountability,” he said, hailing the coordinated effort as a step forward in Nigeria’s fight against oil theft.
