By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Navy has continued to demonstrate firm resolve in the fight against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes, recording a string of operational successes in July 2025 under the ongoing Operation DELTA SANITY. Since the relaunch of the operation in December 2024, the Navy has significantly intensified efforts to curb illegal activities within Nigeria’s maritime environment.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Adams Aliu, the operations carried out in July led to the deactivation of over 71 illegal refinery sites and 120 dugout pits across the Niger Delta. The efforts also resulted in the denial of approximately 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to oil thieves.
On Friday, 4 July 2025, six illegal refinery sites were discovered and deactivated around Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni communities in Rivers State. The sites comprised 40 dugout pits containing about 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil, 40 ovens, and 30 reservoirs holding around 40,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
On Saturday, 12 July, an illegal refinery site with five dugout pits holding about 2,300 litres of stolen crude oil was deactivated at Otegele in Delta State.
On Monday, 14 July, three suspected smugglers were arrested in Akwa Ibom State aboard a wooden boat loaded with 10 drums, approximately 2,500 litres, of PMS. Investigations revealed that the products were intended for smuggling into the Republic of Cameroon. The suspects and the smuggled petroleum products were handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.
Also on 14 July, an underground reservoir with connecting pipes, dugout pits, and buckets containing about 7,000 litres of crude oil, as well as polythene bags, was uncovered and deactivated around Obodo Omadino in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. On the same day, another wooden boat carrying 10 drums, roughly 2,500 litres of PMS was seized, and three suspected smugglers were arrested along the Agbani axis, Mbendoro, Effiat I and II, and Okposo river entrances in Akwa Ibom State.
On Wednesday, 16 July, an underground reservoir with connecting pipes and 12 sacks containing 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, along with buckets and polythene bags, was seized in Peres Community in Warri South West Local Government Area.
On Saturday, 19 July, one illegal refinery site and nine dugout pits containing approximately 4,200 litres of crude oil were discovered and deactivated around Otegele in Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
On Monday, 21 July, numerous dugout pits, one pumping machine connected to an underground reservoir, 10 sacks containing about 10,000 litres of suspected crude oil, and two buckets were discovered and seized at Oteghele in Amadino Community, Warri South West LGA, Delta State.
On Tuesday, 22 July, two illegal refinery sites were deactivated at Biseni Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. The sites contained approximately 200,000 litres of stolen crude oil, one pumping machine, and about 2,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and DPK, alongside a network of galvanized pipes and hoses used for siphoning and distributing the products.
The following day, Wednesday, 23 July, a follow-up operation in the same area led to the discovery and deactivation of seven metal ovens, six storage pits, and a large pond filled with over 250,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
Also on 23 July, an illegal refinery site with 300 litres of crude oil, several drums, three dugout pits, and two reservoirs was discovered and deactivated along Isonogbene and Otuogbene in the Akassa general area of Bayelsa State. In Obodo Omadino, Warri South West LGA, Delta State, two active illegal refinery sites were deactivated. They comprised dugout pits containing approximately 2,500 litres of crude oil and 10 polythene sacks with about 3,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Still on 23 July, an abandoned illegal refinery site comprising one oven and five dugout pits holding around 13,000 litres of crude oil was discovered and deactivated around Ugbokodo Creek and Christian Village in Warri South LGA, Delta State.
On Friday, 25 July, seven dugout pits, one drum, and five sacks containing an estimated 15,000 litres of suspected crude oil were discovered and deactivated at Bennet Island within Bokodo Community, Delta State.
On Sunday, 27 July, two active illegal refinery sites and 17 dugout pits with around 2,650 litres of crude oil, as well as 16 polythene sacks containing 1,200 litres of illegally refined AGO, were uncovered and appropriately deactivated at Obodo Omadino in Warri South West LGA.
On Monday, 28 July, one active illegal refinery site with tanks containing about 20,000 litres of crude oil and an underground reservoir connected with hoses was discovered and deactivated at Oteghele Community in Omadino, Delta State.
These sustained operations across multiple states, including Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa, underscore the determination of the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, to stamp out crude oil theft and restore integrity to Nigeria’s oil production system. The Navy’s actions have significantly contributed to improving the nation’s oil output, with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) recently confirming that Nigeria’s oil production has exceeded 1.8 million barrels per day.
The Nigerian Navy remains unwavering in its mission to ensure maritime safety, deter illicit activities, and uphold national security across the country’s maritime domain.
