Nigerian forces seize 104,000 litres of crude in oil theft crackdown
The Nigerian Navy has seized 104,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Rivers State, highlighting a sustained military push to dismantle illicit refining networks that historically drain national oil revenues and suppress official production figures.
The Nigerian Navy has uncovered nine illegal refining sites in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State. The operation, conducted by personnel of Forward Operating Base Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeted 23 dugout pits. Eighteen of those pits contained an estimated 104,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.
Crude oil theft and illegal refining represent a major drag on Nigeria’s official export revenues and corporate production metrics in the Niger Delta. By neutralising five newly excavated pits before they became operational, the military is attempting to curb the expansion of these illicit networks. For investors in Nigerian oil and gas, the frequency and scale of these raids serve as a key barometer of infrastructure security in a region highly prone to pipeline vandalism and supply disruptions.
Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information, said the raids targeted criminal infrastructure in the Wakama/Bolo and Aworkiri communities. “Following actionable intelligence, personnel targeted criminal infrastructure concealed within the Wakama/Bolo and Aworkiri communities. The operation denied economic saboteurs the opportunity to activate new refining locations and sustain illicit petroleum production,” he said.
This seizure is part of a broader escalation in security operations across the country's oil-producing region. Earlier in July, the Navy dismantled four separate refining sites in Rivers State and recovered 43,000 litres of petroleum products. That followed a July 5 raid that recovered 11,800 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel.
The Nigerian Army has concurrently intensified its efforts in the region. Between July 14 and July 20, a joint operation dismantled 14 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 350,000 litres of stolen petroleum products. Lt.-Col. Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Division, disclosed that the week-long operation also resulted in the arrest of 62 suspects across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states.
