The Nigerian Navy has announced that its Special Forces dismantled at least 70 illegal crude oil refinery sites and seized more than 400,000 litres of stolen crude across the Niger Delta during July 2025.
This was revealed in the Navy’s monthly operational update released on Friday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu.
According to Adams-Aliu, the operations were carried out under Operation Delta Sanity—a sustained security initiative aimed at curbing crude oil theft and other economic crimes in Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The month-long crackdown, he said, also uncovered and destroyed 120 dug-out pits, makeshift storage facilities, and various tools used for illegal refining across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.
In total, the Navy denied oil thieves access to about 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illicitly-refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Highlighting specific operations, the Naval spokesperson said that on July 4, troops discovered illegal refining facilities in Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni areas of Rivers State, containing over 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil and 40,000 litres of refined AGO.
On July 14, further raids in Akwa Ibom and Delta States led to several arrests, the seizure of smuggled petroleum products destined for Cameroon, and the discovery of hidden reservoirs storing thousands of litres of stolen crude.
Two major illegal operations in Biseni community, Bayelsa, were dismantled on July 22 and 23, resulting in the recovery of more than 450,000 litres of crude oil.
Adams-Aliu added that personnel also intercepted several wooden boats transporting PMS and other petroleum products, arresting six suspected smugglers in the process.
He reaffirmed that under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Navy remains committed to eliminating oil theft and increasing Nigeria’s oil production.
According to him, these efforts have contributed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) recent report that national oil production has exceeded 1.8 million barrels per day.
“The Nigerian Navy is unwavering in its mission to secure the nation’s maritime environment, deter criminal activities, and protect vital economic assets,” Adams-Aliu said.
Data from the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) shows that Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of oil, valued at ₦16.25 trillion, to theft between 2009 and 2020. NEITI also noted a sharp decline in losses—from 36.69 million barrels in 2022 to 7.68 million barrels in 2023—attributing the drop to improved resource management and stronger security operations.