The navy says it recorded major operational successes in the second quarter of ‘Operation DELTA SENTINEL’, recovering millions of litres of stolen crude oil and petroleum products, while intensifying efforts to combat crude oil theft and economic sabotage across the Niger Delta.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Olorunsho, the navy conducted over 580 intelligence-driven operations between April and June 2026 across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos States.
The operations, he said, led to the recovery of more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, the arrest of over 91 suspects linked to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and related crimes, and the dismantling of more than 48 illegal refining sites.
The navy also intercepted multiple vessels allegedly involved in crude oil theft and destroyed criminal logistics networks supporting illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta.
Among the major breakthroughs recorded during the period was the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, which were allegedly linked to the theft of over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
Security operatives also recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from a single illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State.
Coordinated riverine operations further led to the destruction of illegal refining camps, reservoirs, dugout pits, storage facilities, warehouses, concealed fuel caches, pipeline connections and militant hideouts.
The navy said the sustained operations exposed attempts by criminal syndicates to reactivate previously dismantled illegal refining camps but noted that continuous follow-up operations successfully disrupted the illegal networks and prevented them from regaining operational capacity.
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It added that the operational gains coincided with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announcement that Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 percent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest crude oil output recorded since April 2020.
According to the navy, the improved security around critical oil and gas infrastructure has contributed significantly to increased crude oil production by denying oil thieves freedom of operation, disrupting illicit petroleum supply chains and protecting national assets.
It reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations and strengthening inter-agency collaboration to curb crude oil theft in Nigeria’s maritime environment, in line with the federal government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
