Breaking: Navy uncovers and seizes stolen crude oil in Delta

DDM News

Personnel of the Nigerian Navy have intensified their crackdown on oil theft, deactivating multiple illegal refining camps in Delta State.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that operatives of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Escravos carried out a week-long raid across key locations in the creeks of the Niger Delta region.

According to the Commanding Officer of FOB Escravos, Navy Captain Ikenna Okoloagu, eight illegal refining sites were dismantled.

He disclosed that approximately 20,710 litres of stolen crude oil and 3,225 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered during the operation.

Speaking with journalists in Warri on Friday, Captain Okoloagu stated that the operations formed part of a wider effort to boost Nigeria’s daily crude production and clamp down on economic sabotage.

The seized products were reportedly found hidden in 66 dugout pits, two locally fabricated ovens, and 43 polythene sacks.

Additionally, three suspects were arrested and two boats confiscated during the coordinated military effort.

Captain Okoloagu affirmed that the recent operations signified a major stride in the Navy’s war against crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

He revealed that the operations were conducted under Operation Delta Sanity II, an initiative based on the strategic directives of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla.

These directives, he explained, mandate persistent pressure on individuals and groups sabotaging Nigeria’s economic lifelines.

The crackdown, the officer said, began on June 6, 2025, when intelligence-led raids led to the dismantling of three refining camps at Obodo Omadino in Warri South-West Local Government Area.

At these locations, operatives recovered 4,660 litres of stolen crude oil and 1,125 litres of illegally refined AGO.

The materials were stored in a combination of 19 dugout pits, one locally fabricated oven, and 15 polythene sacks.

On June 13, 2025, a follow-up operation led to the dismantling of two more illegal sites at Oteghele, within the same Obodo Omadino community.

Here, the Navy uncovered 8,400 litres of stolen crude oil, concealed in 21 dugout pits.

Two days later, on June 15, the Navy responded to fresh intelligence regarding crude siphoning at Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Malu Jacket 19, located offshore Escravos.

An Anti-Crude Oil Theft team was promptly dispatched to the site.

This response culminated in yet another follow-up operation on June 19, where three additional illegal refining sites were discovered and dismantled.

Recovered from these sites were 7,650 litres of stolen crude oil and 2,100 litres of illegally refined AGO, found in 26 dugout pits and 28 polythene sacks.

The Navy stated that such repeated breakthroughs stemmed from credible intelligence and coordinated field responses, ensuring uninterrupted pressure on oil thieves.

The Niger Delta region has long battled illegal oil refining, a major contributor to environmental degradation, economic loss, and social instability.

The military has maintained a presence in the creeks, deploying both land and water patrols to flush out illicit actors.

Oil theft in Nigeria, which has reached alarming levels in recent years, continues to threaten the nation’s oil-dependent economy.

The Nigerian government estimates that the country loses billions of dollars annually to crude oil theft, primarily in the Niger Delta.

The region, while rich in oil resources, suffers widespread poverty, pollution, and underdevelopment, fuelling cycles of militancy and illegal bunkering.

Operation Delta Sanity II, under which the Navy’s latest efforts fall, was initiated as a renewed attempt to restore lawful oil production and reduce the influence of criminal syndicates.

Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ogalla has reiterated the force’s commitment to rooting out all forms of oil-related criminality.

Security experts and stakeholders in the oil sector have praised the operation, urging continuous inter-agency collaboration to protect Nigeria’s economic assets.

Environmentalists, however, have also called for the safe deactivation of illegal sites to prevent further harm to the fragile ecosystem of the Niger Delta.

While the recent operations mark a success, analysts argue that sustainable development and youth employment remain essential to reducing local participation in oil theft.

DDM will continue monitoring developments as the Navy sustains its operations and efforts to recover Nigeria’s stolen crude.

Kindly share 🙏

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook