Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigerian Navy has achieved significant milestones in its ongoing Operation Delta Sanity II, launched to combat crude oil theft and maritime crimes in the country.
The Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, disclosed on Thursday that the operation, flagged off by the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, on December 30, 2024, has already yielded remarkable results.
On January 7, Navy personnel intercepted a large wooden boat siphoning crude oil from the Enang C Platform in the Iko area of Akwa Ibom State. The vessel was found carrying:
2 x 10,000-litre GP tanks loaded with approximately 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
12 x 10,000-litre GP tanks (empty).
3 x service tanks.
4 x submersible pumps.
3 x outboard engines.
In addition, on January 6, Nigerian Navy operatives uncovered an illegal refining site in the Igbomotoru area of Bayelsa State. Large quantities of stolen crude oil were seized, and the illicit products were handled in accordance with existing regulations.
The Navy also scored another victory on January 7 in Ondo State. Personnel from the Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda discovered and dismantled nine interconnected illegal refinery camps in the Obe-Nla riverine community of Ilaje Local Government Area. Among the items recovered were:
Approximately 20,000 litres of crude oil.
1,400 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Pumping machines and locally fabricated boats.
Commodore Adams-Aliu highlighted these achievements as a testament to the Navy’s determination to eradicate crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.
He reiterated the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, who, in January 2025, urged Navy personnel to intensify efforts to protect Nigeria’s waters and eliminate maritime criminal activities.
“These successes recorded during the first week of 2025 reflect the Nigerian Navy’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain and addressing the menace of crude oil theft,” Adams-Aliu stated.
The Nigerian Navy assured the public of its continued vigilance and readiness to ensure the security of the nation’s oil resources and maritime environment.
