Army arrests 29 suspected oil thieves in one week

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — In a major crackdown on illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, troops of the Nigerian Army, 6 Divided Port Harcourt, in collaboration with other security agencies, have arrested 29 suspected oil thieves, deactivated 24 illegal refining sites, and recovered over 60,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.

The week-long operations, conducted from February 3-9th 2025, targeted various hotspots across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom states, dealing a significant blow to illicit oil activities.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, the troops carried out clearance operations along the Imo River, destroying six illegal refining sites and seizing 18,000 litres of stolen crude.

Danjuma affirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to sustained operations to combat oil theft, vowing to deny criminal elements the freedom to operate in the region.

He said, “At Asa in Oyigbo LGA, we uncovered a reservoir containing over 1,000 litres of stolen products and 100 sacks filled with 1,500 litres of crude oil,” the statement read.

“Similar raids in Buguma, Asari-Toru LGA, led to the discovery of an illegal refining site stocked with over 9,000 litres of stolen crude oil. At Ebocha Well 5, troops intercepted a large-scale operation, seizing 5,900 litres of illegally refined AGO and 3,500 litres of stolen crude, along with 37 sacks containing over 2,220 litres of AGO.

“Troops also conducted a sting operation in Delta State, acting on intelligence about illegal bunkering at Okpai Oluchi in Ndokwa East LGA. Over 70 sacks of stolen crude were seized near SEEPCO Energy Company pipeline.

“A suspected oil thief abandoned his vehicle, a Lagos-registered Sienna bus, APP 89 CV, loaded with 15 sacks of illegally refined AGO in Isoko South LGA.

“In Bayelsa, security forces targeted the boundary between Joinkrama in Yenagoa LGA and Okarki in Ahoada West LGA, dismantling two illegal refining sites. Similar operations in Biseni, Akpedi, and Akinima resulted in the seizure of 2,500 litres of AGO hidden in sacks along the River Niger.

“These operations will continue to ensure that economic sabotage and environmental degradation caused by illegal refining are eradicated,” the Nigerian Army concluded.