By JohnPaul Amaechi
The Nigerian Navy said it has sustained offensive against crude oil thieves and other economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta, recording more than 580 intelligence-led operations in the second quarter of 2026 that resulted in the arrest of over 91 suspects and the recovery of millions of litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products.
The force said the operations, conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL between April and June 2026, targeted illegal refining camps, pipeline vandals, oil thieves, militant groups and criminal logistics networks operating across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States.
A statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the Nigerian Navy dismantled more than 48 illegal refining sites, recovered over 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, and intercepted several vessels linked to crude oil theft during the period under review.
According to the Navy, the sustained operations have continued to degrade the operational capabilities of criminal syndicates engaged in economic sabotage while enhancing the security of Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.
Among the major breakthroughs recorded during the quarter was the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, which were allegedly involved in the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Navy also uncovered one of the largest illegal refining operations in Ndoni, Rivers State, where personnel recovered 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products from a single location.
It explained that several follow-up operations targeted criminal groups attempting to reactivate dismantled illegal refining camps, adding that troops successfully prevented the restoration of illegal production facilities through sustained surveillance and rapid-response operations.
The Service further disclosed that troops destroyed numerous illegal refining sites, reservoirs, storage tanks, dugout pits, concealed fuel dumps, pipeline connections and militant hideouts during coordinated riverine operations aimed at denying criminals operational freedom.
The Navy noted that intelligence gathered during the operations revealed that criminal syndicates had adopted new strategies to revive dismantled refining camps, prompting continuous monitoring and targeted strikes to prevent the resurgence of illegal refining activities.
It said the sustained naval presence across the creeks and waterways had significantly disrupted illicit petroleum supply chains, weakened the financial base of criminal networks and enhanced the protection of critical national assets.
The Service linked the operational successes to Nigeria’s recent increase in crude oil production, noting that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that national crude oil output rose to 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 per cent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest production level since April 2020.
According to the Navy, the improvement demonstrates that intensified security operations around oil facilities are yielding positive results and contributing to increased production.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations, strengthening inter-agency collaboration and protecting Nigeria’s maritime environment from all forms of criminality.
It added that the Service remains focused on supporting the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027, while safeguarding critical oil and gas infrastructure in line with the strategic vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
