Army Smashes Seven Illegal Refineries, Seizes ₦150m Worth Of Stolen Oil In Niger Delta

According to Ireporter Online, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division have intensified their offensive against oil theft operations in the Niger Delta, dismantling seven illegal refineries and recovering more than 109,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.

The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the Division, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday. He disclosed that the seized products included 88,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 21,355 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO), with an estimated value exceeding ₦150 million.

Danjuma explained that operations carried out in Rivers State, particularly around Okolomade in Ahoada West Local Government Area, resulted in the destruction of three illegal refining sites. Troops also recovered three large refining pots, four massive receivers and three cooling units, alongside more than 40,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 20,000 litres of illicit AGO.

He added that soldiers further uncovered three additional refining sites along the fringes of the Imo River, where they found eight drum pots, seven drum receivers, a fibre boat, and more than 14,700 litres of stolen crude in areas spanning Asa, Obeakpo, Lekuma, and Abiama in Oyigbo Local Government Area.

According to the statement, acting on credible intelligence, troops raided a compound in Abuloma, Okrika Local Government Area, where they discovered about 1,050 sacks containing over 32,000 litres of stolen crude oil. At Abonnema Creek in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, soldiers intercepted a Cotonou boat carrying 25 sacks filled with more than 1,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.

In Akwa Ibom State, a raid on a suspected storage facility in Ikot Akpan, Ekparakwa, along the Abak–Ikot Abasi road, led to the recovery of 520 litres of illicit AGO stored in a drum and several jerricans, along with numerous empty containers.

The Army also conducted an operation in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, where suspected oil thieves fled into nearby creeks upon sighting advancing troops, abandoning wooden boats loaded with jerricans. Three jerricans containing 75 litres of crude oil were later recovered at the scene.

The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Eric Emekah, praised the troops for their sustained efforts and urged them to maintain pressure on economic saboteurs across the Niger Delta Region. He also appealed to residents to continue providing credible intelligence that would support ongoing military operations aimed at safeguarding the nation’s economic assets.