Army Dismantles 10 Illegal Refineries, Seizes ₦250m Oil Products Across Niger Delta

The Nigerian Army’s 6 Division has been busy in the Niger Delta. In a three-week sweep from April 1 to 26, troops dismantled 10 illegal refining sites, arrested nine suspected oil thieves, and seized petroleum products worth over ₦250 million — all while working alongside other security agencies across four states.

What troops recovered

The numbers from the operation are significant. More than 130,000 litres of stolen crude oil and over 26,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were confiscated in total. The bulk of the action played out in Rivers State.

In Ahoada East, troops intercepted an abandoned truck on the East-West Road carrying 45,000 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products. At the Orashi National Forest in Ahoada West, a reservoir holding over 35,000 litres of stolen crude was uncovered. Troops also found another reservoir with more than 26,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, and seized 266 sacks containing 17,760 litres at Ebocha in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.

At Abessa Forest in Ahoada West, four drum ovens and 50 sacks with over 3,000 litres of crude were discovered alongside two waste pits used in refining. Near Okolomade in Abua/Odual LGA, troops recovered an additional 1,500 litres stored in 30 sacks.

Operations extended beyond Rivers State. In Delta State, an illegal tapping point was uncovered at Obazogbe Community in Ethiope LGA, connected to a storage pit holding roughly 2,700 litres. In Akwa Ibom, 45 bags containing about 1,350 litres of illegally refined AGO were found in Ikot Ekpene — the suspects fled when they spotted troops. Bayelsa State also saw sustained pressure, with the Army reporting that oil theft activity there has been significantly restricted.

Army message to the region

The statement releasing the operational details was issued by Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 6 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma. The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, used the announcement to commend his troops and signal that the crackdown would continue.

Major General Emekah praised their “resilience and professionalism” and urged them to “maintain the momentum in the ongoing fight against economic sabotage and related crimes in the region.”

Oil theft remains one of Nigeria’s most persistent economic wounds. The country loses billions of naira worth of crude annually to pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering, and the Niger Delta has long been the epicentre of those activities. Operations like this one reflect a more sustained push to physically dismantle the infrastructure that makes illegal refining possible — drum ovens, tapping points, storage pits, and supply networks spread across remote forests and waterways.

The Army said it remains committed to bringing perpetrators of oil theft to justice and protecting national assets across the region.

Sources: PRNigeria, New Telegraph