Troops of the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army have arrested at least 71 suspected oil thieves and recovered over 33,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in a series of operations in the Niger Delta between July 21 and August 10, 2025.
This was disclosed by the Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He added that the operations, conducted in collaboration with other security agencies, also led to the deactivation of 14 illegal refining sites in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Abia states.
In Rivers State, at Kilometre 45 of the Degema Local Government Area, troops ravaged two illegal refining camps and recovered over 22,500 litres of crude oil stolen from the pipes. Also destroyed were two wooden boats that had been used for the illegal operation. The same operation at Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA caught two wooden boats conveying eight sacks of stolen crude.
Raids on the borders of the Imo River in Abia and Rivers states closed five illegal refining sites, as 16 drum pots, two drum receivers, and over 2,000 litres of stolen crude were confiscated. A dugout pit containing 1,500 litres of illegal products was also destroyed.
In Bayelsa State, troops found 16 jerrycans of stolen product hidden in a shop at Bassambiri in Nembe LGA, and 1,200 litres of stolen product at a mini illegal refining laboratory in Biseni, Yenagoa LGA.
In Delta State, troops apprehended a vehicle at Omuseti Junction in Ndokwa West LGA with 31 jerrycans of stolen Automotive Gas Oil.
General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, commended citizens for providing valuable intelligence, noting that verified genuine goods are returned to the owners, and those who indulge in economic sabotage are handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.
