By Emmanuel Abi Couson
In a two weeks long operation in Niger Delta, the Nigerian Army, 6 Division troops arrested 69 suspected oil thieves, dismantled nine illegal refining sites, and recovered 32,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.
The acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement issued to the media in Port Harcourt on Sunday 24 August.
He said the operations, conducted between August 11 and 24, 2025, were carried out across the Niger Delta States of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom in collaboration with sister security agencies.
According to him, “significant operational successes were recorded, including the deactivation of nine illegal refining sites, the arrest of 69 suspects for oil theft and related offences, as well as the confiscation of over 32,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.”
In Delta State, troops intercepted two trucks conveying over 15,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil in the Sapele Local Government Area and arrested three suspects.
They also recovered 16 cellophane bags filled with AGO at One Man Village, Sapele, while at Nana Town in Warri North, several drums and four jerricans of illegally refined AGO were seized.
In Rivers State, three refining sites were deactivated at Kilometre 45 in Degema LGA, where troops recovered more than 7,000 litres of stolen products and seized a wooden boat.
At Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, two wooden boats loaded with stolen condensates were intercepted, while in Izuoma community, Oyigbo, over 1,500 litres of products were recovered.
A similar operation in Akankurma Okoloma, Okrika LGA, led to the dismantling of another refining site and the arrest of three suspects, with a drum pot, a receiver, and five drums filled with crude oil confiscated.
In Andoni LGA, troops seized a fibre boat, a cooking pot, 10-inch pipes, and five valves. Along the Imo River axis, two refining sites were destroyed, with four drum pots, two receivers, and over 2,000 litres of stolen products recovered around Obuzor and Oyigbo.
In Bayelsa State, soldiers uncovered a site at Biseni, Yenagoa LGA, containing two large reservoirs holding more than 7,000 litres of crude, in addition to drums and receivers destroyed at the scene.
In Akwa Ibom, the Army said troops maintained dominance of operational areas to deny criminal elements freedom of action.
Lt. Col. Danjuma added that all arrested suspects had been handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution, while confiscated products were being handled in line with existing operational guidelines.
