The Nigerian Navy has intensified its fight against crude oil theft and maritime crimes, deactivating 71 illegal refinery sites across the Niger Delta during July 2025 under Operation Delta Sanity.
According to Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, Director of Information, the operations — spanning Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states — denied oil thieves access to approximately 411,400 litres of stolen crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Key highlights include:
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July 4: Six illegal refinery sites deactivated in Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni (Rivers State), containing about 66,000 litres of crude oil and 40,000 litres of AGO.
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July 12: One site dismantled in Otegele, Delta State, with 2,300 litres of crude oil.
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July 14: Three suspected smugglers arrested in Akwa Ibom with PMS bound for Cameroon; multiple crude oil reservoirs deactivated in Delta.
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July 16–28: Successive raids uncovered large-scale operations, including over 250,000 litres of crude oil seized in Biseni, Bayelsa, and extensive facilities destroyed in Warri South West, Oteghele, and Bokodo communities.
The Navy also seized smuggling boats, pumping machines, metal ovens, reservoirs, dugout pits, and an extensive network of hoses and galvanized pipes used in illicit refining and product distribution.
These achievements, Commodore Adams-Aliu noted, reflect the determination of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, to stamp out crude oil theft and enhance Nigeria’s oil output. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) recently confirmed that national crude production had risen above 1.8 million barrels per day.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the momentum, safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain, and contributing to economic stability through decisive operations against oil theft and related crimes.
