The Nigerian Navy has revealed that in July 2025 alone, its Special Forces seized more than 400,000 litres of stolen crude oil and shut down no fewer than 70 illegal refinery installations throughout the Niger Delta.
The Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, in Abuja, released a monthly operational update on Friday that included this information.
Adams-Aliu claimed that the stepped-up activities under the current Operation Delta Sanity were a component of its endeavour to stop economic sabotage and theft of crude oil in Nigeria’s maritime territory.
He said that 120 dugout trenches, illicit storage facilities, and other equipment utilised in the theft of crude oil and illegal refining across the states of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom were found and destroyed as a result of the raid.
According to him, about 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally processed Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) were all confiscated by the Navy from oil thieves.
The Naval spokesman, who provided the operation’s main highlights, on July 4, added that the forces found and shut down illicit refining facilities in Rivers that had about 66,000 litres of suspected crude and 40,000 litres of refined AGO at Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni.
In Akwa Ibom and Delta States, he continued, the operations on July 14 resulted in several arrests and seizures, including smuggling attempts to Cameroon and the discovery of subterranean reservoirs holding thousands of litres of stolen crude oil.
He claimed that more over 450,000 litres of crude oil were recovered during the July 22 and 23 dismantling of two extensive criminal operations in Biseni Community, Bayelsa.
According to Adams-Aliu, its officers also detained six suspected smugglers and stopped a number of wooden boats that were being used to carry PMS and other petroleum products.
He reiterated the navy’s determination to combat oil theft and increase domestic oil production, under the direction of Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff.
He further stated that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has declared that Nigeria’s oil production had surpassed 1.8 million barrels per day, a milestone that was made possible in part by navy activities.
“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in its mission to ensure maritime safety, deter illicit activities, and uphold national security within the nation’s maritime domain,” he said.
According to a recent report released by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Nigeria lost a whopping 619.7 million barrels of oil valued at N16.25 trillion to theft between 2009 and 2020.
NEITI, however highlighted a reduction from 36.69 million barrels lost in 2022 to 7.68 million barrels in 2023.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
