…Army, Navy Intensify Crackdown Amid Pipeline Surveillance Debate
By Jeremy Fregene
Nigeria’s military has intensified its crackdown on oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta, with fresh operations by the Nigerian Army’s 6th Division recording major seizures, arrests, and the dismantling of illegal refining infrastructure across multiple states.
The latest offensive, conducted between April 1 and 26, saw troops, working in coordination with other security agencies, recover more than 130,000 litres of stolen crude oil and over 26,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), with an estimated value exceeding ₦250 million.
Nine suspected oil thieves were arrested, while at least ten illegal refining sites were deactivated in a sweeping operation spanning Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states.
Military authorities said the operations reflect a renewed push to dominate the operational landscape and choke off economic sabotage in the oil-rich region.
In Rivers State, troops carried out multiple targeted raids based on intelligence. At Ukpeye Community along the East-West Road in Ahoada East Local Government Area, an abandoned truck loaded with 45,000 litres of stolen petroleum products was intercepted.
Further operations in Ahoada West uncovered a major illegal storage network inside the Orashi National Forest, where a reservoir containing over 35,000 litres of stolen crude oil was discovered. Another site yielded more than 26,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, alongside pipelines used for siphoning.
Additional seizures were recorded in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, where 266 sacks containing 17,760 litres of stolen products were confiscated, while multiple illegal refining structures, including drum ovens and waste pits, were destroyed in Abessa Forest and surrounding areas.
In Delta State, troops uncovered a tapping point and storage pit in Ethiope Local Government Area containing over 2,700 litres of stolen crude, while in Akwa Ibom, 45 bags of illegally refined AGO were recovered in Ikot Ekpene. Suspects reportedly fled several locations upon sighting security forces.
Bayelsa operations focused on denying oil thieves operational freedom, with sustained patrols across known hotspots.
The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, commended the troops for their resilience and urged them to sustain the tempo of operations against what he described as “economic saboteurs.”
The Army’s latest successes come amid a broader escalation of anti-oil theft operations led by the Nigerian military, particularly the Nigerian Navy, which has recorded a string of high-value seizures in recent weeks.
Just days earlier, naval authorities announced the recovery of over ₦600 million worth of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined products across Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
According to naval spokesperson Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation yielded approximately 103,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 190,000 litres of AGO, with a significant portion traced to illegal refining networks operating along the Rivers–Bayelsa corridor.
In one instance, personnel deployed to the Egboama/Ogbogolo axis uncovered extensive illicit infrastructure, including dugout pits, reservoirs, and makeshift refining systems used to process stolen crude.
Separate operations in Delta State led to the discovery of a concealed storage facility near Bennett Island, where about 78,000 litres of crude oil linked to a buried pipeline system were recovered.
These developments followed even larger interceptions the previous week, when naval forces seized vessels allegedly carrying stolen crude valued at over ₦4 billion and arrested 26 crew members in the Calabar–Akwa Ibom axis.
Military authorities say the sustained operations reflect improved intelligence coordination and inter-agency collaboration involving the Defence Headquarters and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
However, the growing list of seizures has also reignited scrutiny of pipeline surveillance arrangements in the Niger Delta.
Despite multi-billion-naira contracts awarded to private surveillance firms,the continued discovery of large volumes of stolen crude has raised questions about gaps in monitoring and enforcement, and the need to involve local communities in securing oil facilities in their areas.
The situation has also revived tensions between the Navy and private contractors, dating back to 2023, when both sides traded accusations over alleged complicity in oil theft operations.
Analysts say the military’s intensified operations could strengthen calls for a less centralised security framework for pipeline protection, even as Nigeria continues to grapple with crude oil theft estimated to cost billions of naira annually.