The Nigerian Navy reported that in March, its OPERATION DELTA SANITY II soldiers achieved significant progress in combating crude oil theft.
On Friday, March 7, 2025, an illegal refinery site was found and deactivated around Oteghele community at Obodo Omadino in Warri, SouthWest Local Government Area, Delta State. The site contained approximately 5,500 liters of stolen crude oil, 2,000 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), one oven, nine dugout pits, fifteen polythene sacks of illegally refined AGO, thirteen sacks of stolen crude oil, and one pumping machine, according to a statement posted on the Nigeria Navy’s verified Facebook page on Saturday.
“On Saturday, 8 March 2025, a large wooden boat carrying 40,000 liters of crude oil was seized around Okrika and Ogajama general area in Rivers State,” the statement reads. A seagoing vessel, MFT Olokun VIII, registered under IMO Registration N0: 8778275, was apprehended on Sunday, March 9, 2025, along the Saint Nicholas River in Bayelsa State, while carrying illicit firearms and ammunition. Twenty rounds of 7.62/51mm ammo, seven live cartridges, one G3 rifle, and one pump action gun were among the weapons. In connection with the illegal firearms, two suspects were also taken into custody and will be prosecuted.
On Monday, March 10, 2025, 23 polythene sacks containing 1,900 liters of illegally processed AGO, three ovens, seven dugout pits, eight sacks with 3,700 liters of crude oil, and three illegal refinery sites were found and deactivated in the vicinity of Obodo Omadino in Warri, South West Local Government Area, Delta State.
“A vandalized wellhead, eight illegal refinery sites, fifty-five ovens, twelve reservoirs, and thirty dugout pits containing approximately 55,000 liters of stolen crude oil and approximately 4,000 liters of illegally refined AGO were found and seized in the vicinity of Ohaji/Egbema West in Rivers State on Thursday, March 13, 2025.”
Furthermore, “Long the Dodo River in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, two wooden boats carrying more than 5,000 liters of stolen crude oil and two drums were seized on Friday, March 14, 2025.”
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“A fibre boat carrying 1000 litres of stolen crude oil was seized on Sunday, March 17, 2025, in the Bille/Krakrama waterways in Rivers State.”
Three illegal refinery sites, two ovens, ten dugout pits, three sacks containing roughly 2,700 liters of stolen crude oil, and eighteen polythene sacks containing roughly 1,900 liters of illegally refined AGO were found and deactivated in the vicinity of Obodo Omadino in Warri, SouthWest Local Government Area, Delta State, on Monday, March 17, 2025, it was added.
A cooking oven, two barrels of stolen crude oil, and two wooden boats actively siphoning crude oil from a wellhead were found and confiscated on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in the vicinity of Clough Creek and Dodo River in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, according to the statement.
“The Nigerian Navy will continue to intensify its operations in support of Nigeria’s economic activities, particularly the mandate to improve crude oil production as directed by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement said, quoting Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of the Naval Staff.
