Oil Theft: Navy Destroys 88 Illegal Refining Sites, Recovers 2.25m Litres in Q3

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja 

The Nigerian Navy says it recovered more than 2.25 million litres of petroleum products, rescued 24 kidnapped persons and arrested over 70 suspects during operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes between July and September 2026.

The Navy disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, by the Director Naval Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Capt, Abiodun Folorunsho in Abuja highlighting its operational achievements under Operation DELTA SENTINEL in the third quarter of the year.

According to the statement, the recovered products comprised 1,555,983 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, 595,470 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 85,690 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and 15,774 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).

The Navy also seized four vessels and five boats, while destroying 14 other boats allegedly used in crude oil theft and related criminal activities.

It further deactivated more than 88 illegal refining sites, 363 dugout pits, 20 reservoirs and 80 storage tanks. Eight refining ovens were also destroyed, while eight outboard engines, four arms, over 100 rounds of ammunition and seven vehicles and trucks were recovered.

The operations formed part of the Navy's sustained campaign against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, maritime crime and other activities threatening Nigeria's oil and gas infrastructure.

The latest figures build on the successes recorded in the first half of 2026. In the first quarter, the Navy conducted more than 183 operations, recovered over 531,500 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and arrested 18 suspects.

In the second quarter, it carried out more than 580 intelligence-driven operations, recovering over 4.698 million litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products. More than 91 suspects were arrested, while over 48 illegal refining sites were dismantled.

Since Operation DELTA SENTINEL commenced in January 2026, the Navy said it had recovered more than 7.482 million litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, disrupted over 241 illegal refining networks and sites, and arrested more than 230 suspects.

The Service said the achievements reflected its efforts to dismantle the criminal networks responsible for the theft, processing, storage and transportation of illegally sourced petroleum products.

It added that protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure remained essential to improving energy security, supporting legitimate oil production and strengthening Nigeria's economy.

The Navy also linked its operations to improvements in the country's crude oil export earnings, citing provisional Balance of Payments statistics from the Central Bank of Nigeria showing that earnings rose from $8.11 billion in the first quarter of 2026 to $9.39 billion in the second quarter, representing an increase of 15.78 per cent.

While acknowledging the contributions of the Federal Government, regulators, industry operators, security agencies and host communities, the Navy said sustained efforts to suppress crude oil theft and protect oil and gas infrastructure had helped create a more secure environment for legitimate production and evacuation.

On the prosecution of suspects, the Service stressed the need to complement operational successes with effective investigations and timely judicial action.

It cited the recent conviction of nine crude oil thieves by the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, as an example of the outcome it expects from arrests made during its operations.

The Navy called for swifter investigations and diligent prosecution of persons arrested for crude oil theft, illegal refining and other acts of economic sabotage, warning that delays could weaken deterrence and allow criminal networks to resume their activities.

Under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Navy said it would sustain intelligence-led operations and strengthen collaboration with host communities and other stakeholders to protect critical national assets and deny criminal elements the freedom to operate.