Abuja, Nigeria — In a sweeping crackdown on oil theft and economic sabotage, the Nigerian Navy announced it has shut down 71 illegal refinery sites. It recovered more than 400,000 litres of stolen crude oil across the Niger Delta region during July 2025.
The operation, part of the ongoing Operation Delta Sanity, was detailed in a monthly briefing by Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, Director of Naval Information, who said the intensified campaign targeted curbing rampant crude oil theft and restoring integrity to Nigeria’s maritime economy.
According to Adams-Aliu, the Navy’s Special Forces uncovered and destroyed 120 dugout pits, illegal storage facilities, and equipment used for refining stolen crude in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.
In total, the Navy denied oil thieves access to 411,400 litres of crude oil, 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).
One of the most significant operations occurred on July 22 and 23 in the Biseni Community, Bayelsa State, where troops dismantled two large-scale illegal refining sites and recovered over 450,000 litres of stolen crude.
Earlier in the month, on July 4, naval forces deactivated sites in Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni areas of Rivers State, seizing 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil and 40,000 litres of refined AGO.
Further raids on July 14 in Akwa Ibom and Delta States led to multiple arrests and the interception of smuggling attempts to Cameroon. Troops also discovered underground reservoirs containing thousands of litres of stolen crude.
In addition to land-based operations, the Navy intercepted several wooden boats used for smuggling petroleum products and arrested six suspected smugglers.
Adams-Aliu reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment under the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff, to eradicate oil theft and support national oil production efforts.
He cited recent data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which reported that Nigeria’s oil production has surpassed 1.8 million barrels per day, attributing the milestone in part to improved maritime security.
“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in its mission to ensure maritime safety, deter illicit activities, and uphold national security within the nation’s maritime domain,” Adams-Aliu stated.
Meanwhile, a recent report by the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) revealed that Nigeria lost 619.7 million barrels of oil, valued at ₦16.25 trillion, to theft between 2009 and 2020.
However, the report noted a sharp decline in losses—from 36.69 million barrels in 2022 to 7.68 million barrels in 2023—thanks to enhanced resource management and security measures.
