Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division, in collaboration with other security agencies, have arrested 69 suspects and seized more than 32,000 litres of stolen petroleum products as part of ongoing operations against crude oil theft (COT) in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement released by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, the operations were conducted between August 11 and 24, 2025, across several states, yielding significant successes.
During the two-week operation, troops dismantled nine illegal refining sites and confiscated large quantities of illicit petroleum products. In Delta State, soldiers intercepted two trucks in Sapele Local Government Area (LGA) carrying over 15,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), resulting in the arrest of three suspects. Additionally, 16 cellophane bags of AGO were recovered at One Man Village, and several drums and jerricans of the same product were discovered in Nana Town, Warri North.
In Rivers State, troops neutralized three illegal refining sites at Kilometre 45 in Degema LGA, seizing over 7,000 litres of stolen products and a wooden boat. At Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, two wooden boats loaded with eight sacks of stolen condensate were intercepted, and a dugout pit containing over 1,500 litres of the substance was found near an illegal connection point.
Further discoveries were made at Izuoma Community near Sampson Estate in Oyigbo, where over 1,500 litres of stolen petroleum were recovered. In Akankurma Okoloma, Okrika, troops dismantled another illegal refining operation, seizing a drum pot, receiver, and five drums filled with more than 1,500 litres of crude oil. Three individuals were arrested.
In a separate mission around Ataba in Andoni LGA, troops confiscated a fibre boat, one cooking pot, ten-inch pipes, and five valves. Along the Imo River, they recovered more than 2,000 litres of stolen petroleum, deactivated two illegal refining sites, and destroyed four drum pots and two receivers in the Obuzor and Oyigbo general areas.
In Bayelsa State, troops uncovered an illegal refining site in Biseni, Yenagoa LGA, containing two large reservoirs holding over 7,000 litres of stolen crude oil. Five drums and several receivers were also destroyed.
Operations in Akwa Ibom State focused on denying criminal elements freedom of movement and disrupting illicit refining activities. All arrested suspects have been handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution, while seized products are being processed in accordance with established procedures.
Lt Col Danjuma reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to eradicating crude oil theft and restoring environmental safety in the Niger Delta.
