The Nigerian Navy has recorded a major breakthrough in its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, confiscating over 411,000 litres of crude oil and thousands of litres of other petroleum products in July 2025.
In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, said the operations were carried out under Operation Delta Sanity, which was relaunched in December 2024 to protect the nation’s maritime assets.
According to Adams-Aliu, troops also deactivated 120 dug-out pits and dismantled numerous illegal refinery sites across the Niger Delta during the month under review.
Highlights of the July operations include:
July 4 (Rivers State): Six illegal refinery sites uncovered and dismantled, with 40 pits containing about 66,000 litres of crude oil.
July 14 (Akwa Ibom State): Arrest of three suspected smugglers attempting to ferry 2,500 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to Cameroon.
July 22 (Bayelsa State): Seizure of over 200,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 2,000 litres of illegally refined products at two refinery sites in Yenagoa.
The Navy spokesman noted that these efforts are yielding economic benefits, citing a recent report by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) that confirmed the country’s daily crude output has now exceeded 1.8 million barrels.
He reiterated the service’s commitment to eradicating oil theft, safeguarding maritime security, and boosting national revenue.