Troops from the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army have intercepted a significant illegal oil bunkering operation in Rivers State, seizing over 198,000 litres of stolen crude oil stored in a barge from a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) flow station.
This development was made public in a press release on Monday by Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Division.
Acting on credible intelligence, the soldiers launched a swift operation near Cawthorne Channel I, where they apprehended suspects in the act of siphoning crude oil from a barge. The operation resulted in the arrest of five suspects and the seizure of a barge, a tugboat, and three speedboats used for the illegal activity.
Lt. Col. Danjuma stated that the ongoing anti-oil theft operations are part of a broader effort to dismantle criminal networks in the Niger Delta region. In the past week alone, over 280,000 litres of crude oil were recovered, and 63 illegal oil bunkering sites, along with 11 illegal connections, were uncovered. In Rivers State and the neighboring Abia State, soldiers discovered illegal oil connections in several villages in Ukwa West and Ukwa South LGAs.
The army’s operations also led to the confiscation of a boat carrying 3,000 litres of illegally refined products, the dismantling of illegal refining sites, and the destruction of equipment used in these illicit activities. Around the Imo River, operations targeted illegal refining sites in Okoloma, Obuzor, and other communities, resulting in the destruction of 42 illegal refining sites and the recovery of 13,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
In Alakiri, Okrika LGA, four illegal refining sites were dismantled, and over 29,000 litres of stolen crude oil were recovered. Similar operations across Omoku, Buguma, and Bukuma saw the destruction of additional illegal refining sites, ovens, and reservoirs, leading to the recovery of thousands of litres of refined products.
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Bayelsa and Delta States also witnessed intense operations against crude oil theft. In Kaiama, Bayelsa State, 1,400 litres of stolen products were discovered in a suspect’s residence, who has since been handed over to authorities for prosecution. Troops also thwarted a gas pipeline vandalism attempt in Okpai, Delta State, and destroyed an illegal refining site in Warri South LGA.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 6 Division and Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) land component of Operation Delta Safe, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, reiterated that troops will continue to dismantle illegal oil bunkering networks across the Niger Delta to ensure that oil exploration and production activities are not hindered. He emphasized that no form of criminality will be allowed to thrive in the region.
