The Nigerian Navy has announced the deactivation of at least 70 illegal refinery sites and the seizure of over 400,000 litres of stolen crude oil across the Niger Delta during July 2025.
This was disclosed in the Navy’s monthly operational update released on Friday by Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, Director of Naval Information, in Abuja.
According to the statement, the operations—conducted under the ongoing Operation Delta Sanity—are part of the Navy’s continued efforts to combat crude oil theft and economic sabotage in Nigeria’s maritime zones.
During these operations, personnel discovered and dismantled 120 illegal storage pits, makeshift refining equipment, and facilities used for processing stolen crude in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.
The Navy reported that it successfully prevented the theft of approximately 411,400 litres of crude oil. Additionally, about 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) were intercepted.
Providing further details, Adams-Aliu said that on July 4, the Navy uncovered and shut down illegal refining sites in Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni areas of Rivers State, where over 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil and 40,000 litres of refined AGO were found.
On July 14, further raids in Akwa Ibom and Delta States resulted in several arrests and the interception of smuggled petroleum products allegedly destined for Cameroon. These operations also revealed hidden underground reservoirs storing large quantities of stolen crude.
Two major illegal refining operations in Biseni Community, Bayelsa State, were also dismantled on July 22 and 23, with the Navy recovering more than 450,000 litres of crude oil.
In addition to the seizures, naval units intercepted several wooden boats used in the smuggling of fuel and other petroleum products, arresting six suspects in the process.
Commodore Adams-Aliu reiterated the Navy’s commitment under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Chief of Naval Staff, to eliminate oil theft and support efforts to increase national crude oil production.
He noted that the Navy’s recent operations have contributed to Nigeria reaching an oil production milestone of over 1.8 million barrels per day, as recently confirmed by regulatory authorities.
“The Nigerian Navy remains fully committed to safeguarding the nation’s maritime resources, curbing criminal activity, and ensuring the security of Nigeria’s waterways,” he stated.
Recent assessments by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) indicate that Nigeria lost approximately 619.7 million barrels of crude oil, valued at over N16 trillion, to theft between 2009 and 2020. However, reported losses have since declined—from 36.69 million barrels in 2022 to 7.68 million barrels in 2023—due to enhanced security and better resource management.