By Bavoriat Clara
Since the relaunch of Operation DELTA SANITY in December 2024, the Nigerian Navy has recorded significant successes in its ongoing efforts to safeguard the nation’s maritime domain and combat crude oil theft across the Niger Delta region.
These achievements reinforce the Navy’s unwavering commitment to national security and economic stability.
According to a statement by the Director of Information, Commodore Adams-Aliu, on Friday, 4 July 2025, six illegal refinery sites were discovered and deactivated around Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni communities in Rivers State.
The sites contained 40 dugout pits holding approximately 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil, 40 ovens, and 30 reservoirs with about 40,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
On 12 July 2025, a separate operation at Otegele in Delta State led to the deactivation of one illegal refinery site, where eight dugout pits contained approximately 2,300 litres of stolen crude oil.
Two days later, on 14 July 2025, three suspected smugglers were apprehended in Akwa Ibom State aboard a wooden boat carrying ten drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), totaling roughly 2,500 litres. Investigations revealed the fuel was destined for smuggling into Cameroon.The suspects and products were handed over to relevant authorities.
That same day, another illegal operation was uncovered around Obodo Omadino in Warri South West Local Government Area, Delta State. An underground reservoir with pipes, dugout pits, buckets, and polythene bags containing about 7,000 litres of crude oil was deactivated.
Additionally, a second wooden boat loaded with ten drums of PMS and three suspected smugglers was intercepted along the Agbani axis, Mbendoro, Effiat I & II, and Okposo river entrances in Akwa Ibom.
On 16 July 2025, the Navy discovered and deactivated an underground reservoir with pipes and 12 sacks filled with 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Peres Community, Warri South West.On 19 July 2025, another illegal refinery site with nine dugout pits and approximately 4,200 litres of crude oil was dismantled at Otegele in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA.
Subsequently, on 21 July, the Navy uncovered multiple dugout pits, a pumping machine connected to an underground reservoir, and 10 sacks with about 10,000 litres of crude oil in the Amadino community of the same local government area.
On 22 July 2025, two illegal refinery sites were shut down in Biseni Community, Yenagoa LGA, Bayelsa State. These contained about 200,000 litres of stolen crude oil, 2,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and DPK, a pumping machine, and a network of galvanized pipes and hoses.
A follow-up operation on 23 July in the same community revealed seven metal ovens, six storage pits, and a large pond containing over 250,000 litres of stolen crude oil. Also on that day, an illegal refinery site with 300 litres of crude oil, several drums, three dugout pits, and two reservoirs was deactivated along Isonogbene and Otuogbene in the Akassa area of Bayelsa.
Still on 23 July, two active refinery sites were deactivated in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West, with eight dugout pits containing 2,500 litres of crude oil and 10 polythene sacks holding around 3,000 litres of illegally refined AGO. An abandoned site with one oven and five pits containing about 13,000 litres of crude oil was also dismantled around Ugbokodo Creek and Christian Village in Warri South.
On 25 July 2025, seven dugout pits, one drum, and five sacks with about 15,000 litres of crude oil were discovered and destroyed at Bennet Island in Bokodo Community, Delta State.Two days later, on 27 July, two active refinery sites with 17 dugout pits holding 2,650 litres of crude oil and 16 sacks with 1,200 litres of AGO were dismantled in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West.
On 28 July 2025, one active illegal refinery site equipped with tanks containing approximately 20,000 litres of crude oil and an underground reservoir connected by hoses was discovered and deactivated in Oteghele Community, Omadino.
In total, over 71 illegal refinery sites with 120 dugout pits were deactivated in July alone. The operations denied oil thieves access to about 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally refined AGO, 72,000 litres of DPK, and 21,900 litres of PMS.
These achievements highlight the Nigerian Navy’s resilience and operational effectiveness under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla.
The efforts are contributing to the elimination of crude oil theft and the improvement of Nigeria’s oil production, which the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) recently confirmed had exceeded 1.8 million barrels per day.
The Nigerian Navy remains committed to maritime safety, deterring illicit activities, and preserving national security in the country’s maritime environment. The public is encouraged to support these ongoing efforts.
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