The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, dismantling six illegal refining sites and seizing over 11,500 litres of stolen crude oil during a series of operations around Obodo Omadino in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to Nigerian Tribune, the raids were executed by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Escravos under Operation Delta Sanity II, targeting illicit oil bunkering activities that have long undermined Nigeria’s oil sector.
According to the Navy, the operations—conducted between September 3 and September 24, 2025—also led to the discovery and destruction of 52 dugout pits, seven polythene sacks loaded with stolen petroleum products, a pumping machine, and 22 yards of hose used in the illegal refining process.
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The largest single haul came on September 24 when naval operatives stormed one of the illegal refining camps and confiscated 3,950 litres of stolen crude oil.
The Navy attributed the success of the operations to credible intelligence and reaffirmed that the crackdown aligns with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, who has consistently warned perpetrators of oil theft that their activities would no longer be tolerated.
“FOB Escravos remains resolute in its commitment to dismantling illegal refining infrastructure and protecting Nigeria’s oil wealth from criminal exploitation,” the command declared in a statement.
The military stressed that the success recorded in the September raids is part of a broader, sustained campaign aimed at curbing crude oil theft, safeguarding national revenue, and stabilising the country’s daily oil production.
