Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested 20 suspected oil thieves and destroyed 19 illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta region.
This was made known in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations for the 6 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Jonah Danjuma.
According to him, the success was recorded during a week-long operation carried out between May 19 and 25, 2025, in collaboration with other security agencies.
He said the operations took place in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom States.
“In multiple operations conducted across the Niger Delta region, troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army with other security agencies successfully dismantled 19 illegal refining sites, arrested 20 suspected oil thieves, and recovered over 589,000 litres of stolen products,” the statement read.
In Rivers State, Danjuma said troops discovered several illegal refining sites around Okolomade, Orashi and Ozochi Forests in Abua/Odual Local Government Area. There, soldiers uncovered eight cooking ovens, large storage tanks with over 300,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), over 250,000 litres of stolen crude oil, seven reservoirs, six receivers, and a generator.
“Similarly, at the fringes of the Imo River, nine more illegal refining sites were taken out,” he said. “Troops also recovered 23 drum pots, 10 drum receivers, 321 sacks, and over 16,000 litres of stolen products.”
In Ndoni, Ogba/Ndoni/Egbema Local Government Area, soldiers recovered 245 sacks filled with about 12,500 litres of illegally refined AGO.
The Army also made arrests in Bonny Local Government Area. “Around Ogbonga Forest in Bonny, a suspected oil thief was caught with a fibre hand-pulled boat and a 400-metre hose stained with crude oil. Troops also recovered four spanners, a TECHNO T353 phone, and other items,” the statement added.
In Delta State, the troops uncovered another illegal site in Jeddo, Okpe Local Government Area, where over 1,000 litres of stolen products stored in polythene bags were seized. In Warri South, at Ogbu Aladja, more sacks filled with unquantified quantities of AGO were discovered.
In Bayelsa, troops dismantled an illegal site around Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area. They destroyed four cooking ovens, several drums and receivers, and seized more stolen products.
Danjuma also said soldiers have taken full control of the land, waterways, and creeks in Akwa Ibom State, making it difficult for oil thieves to operate.
He confirmed that all suspects arrested have been handed over to the relevant authorities for prosecution, while the stolen products were handled according to military procedures.
The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Emmanuel Emekah, praised the troops and promised to continue the fight against oil theft.
He said, “We will keep working to find and destroy more illegal sites. Our goal is to create a safe environment so that legal oil businesses can grow in the region.”
