In a sweeping military operation across the oil-rich Niger Delta, troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested 62 suspects and uncovered large-scale illegal oil bunkering activities, recovering over 350,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
The Nigerian Army’s 6 Division, operating under the Joint Task Force South-South, carried out coordinated raids between July 14 and 20 in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom States. The operation led to the discovery and dismantling of 14 illegal refining sites, with massive seizures of crude oil and refined products.
Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, said in a statement that troops recovered 300,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 21,000 litres of illegally refined diesel (AGO) at Joinkrama 4 community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. In another operation in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, three pits were found containing 5,700 litres of crude oil, while other locations yielded two wooden boats loaded with suspected stolen crude, and a car with 1,920 litres of AGO.
In Bayelsa’s Biseni area, four illegal refineries were uncovered, alongside over 10,000 litres of AGO and five locally constructed ovens. Two suspects were also apprehended in Sapele, Delta State, where troops intercepted two wooden boats conveying 1,500 litres of illegally refined products. In Akwa Ibom, troops intensified surveillance to frustrate the operations of oil thieves.
General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, commended the troops for their relentless efforts and reaffirmed the army’s commitment to flushing out economic saboteurs and ensuring the protection of Nigeria’s oil assets.