In a sweeping crackdown on oil theft, operatives of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division have dismantled fourteen illegal oil refining sites and arrested fourteen suspected oil thieves across key flashpoints in the Niger Delta.
The operation, which spanned from October 20 to November 9, 2025, targeted illicit activities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom states.
The announcement was made in Port Harcourt by Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Division.
According to Danjuma, the coordinated raids led to the seizure of over 20,205 litres of stolen petroleum products and the destruction of multiple makeshift refining hubs.
“These operations yielded remarkable gains,” Danjuma stated. “We successfully dismantled fourteen illegal refining sites, apprehended fourteen suspects, and confiscated thousands of litres of stolen fuel.”
State-by-state breakdown of the crackdown
The Nigerian Army’s recent two-week operation across the Niger Delta yielded significant results, with illegal refining sites dismantled and suspects apprehended in multiple states.
Here’s how the raid unfolded across each location:
Rivers State & Abia State
- Imo River Axis: Troops deactivated six illegal refining sites along the river’s fringes.
- Equipment Destroyed: Fourteen drum pots and nine drum receivers were dismantled.
- Product Seized: Over 8,000 litres of stolen petroleum products were confiscated.
- Locations: Recoveries were made in Asa, Okonta, and Okoloma (Oyigbo LGA, Rivers State) and Obuzor (Ukwa West LGA, Abia State).
- Additional Seizure: At the abandoned Wellhead 3, near the remote manifold axis, troops recovered 42 sackscontaining 1,250 litres of stolen crude oil.
Delta State
- Ughelli North LGA: Troops raided sites around Eruemukohwarien, arresting three suspected oil thieves.
- Vehicles Impounded: A J5 bus and a motorcycle used in the operation were seized.
- Warri South LGA: At Bipoko Community, an active illegal refining site was discovered.
- Infrastructure: Included a cooking oven and 38 sacks of stolen crude.
- Product Seized: Over 4,000 litres of condensate and 1,140 litres of crude oil.
Akwa Ibom State
- Ikot Ekpene LGA: Acting on intelligence, troops intercepted a truck transloading Automotive Gas Oil (AGO)from an underground facility at Olive Field Filling Station along the Uyo–Ikot Ekpene Road.
- Product Seized: The truck carried 3,287 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Bayelsa State
- Troops arrested several suspected economic saboteurs during targeted operations.
- Confiscated items were processed in accordance with the Army’s operational mandate.
Illegal refinery operations in Nigeria
Illegal refinery operations in Nigeria remain a persistent challenge, especially in the Niger Delta.
It involves the unauthorised processing of stolen crude oil into products like diesel and kerosene, usually of low quality.
These operations are typically run in remote creeks and forests, especially in oil-rich states such as Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom.
The practice contributes to:
- Massive revenue losses for the government
- Environmental degradation due to spills and fires
- Security threats from armed groups and criminal networks
Nigeria continues to lose to oil theft
Between 2021 and July 2025, Nigeria lost an estimated 68.94 million barrels of crude oil to theft and metering discrepancies, according to data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
For a country whose economy leans heavily on oil exports as its primary source of foreign exchange, the financial impact runs into billions of dollars—money siphoned off by criminal networks and lost through systemic inefficiencies.
While recent efforts by the Joint Security Task Force have helped curb the practice, oil theft remains a persistent threat.
New illegal refining sites continue to surface across the Niger Delta, underscoring the scale and resilience of the underground economy built around stolen crude.
Despite these challenges, the Nigerian Army remains resolute.
Major General Emmanuel Emekah, General Officer Commanding the 6 Division, commended his troops for their recent successes in dismantling illegal operations.
He urged them to maintain momentum in the fight against oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
“The operational tempo must be sustained,” Emekah said.
Meanwhile, in a related development Dangote refinery has assured of uninterrupted fuel supply nationwide in this festive period.