Nigerian Army Confiscates N150m in Stolen Crude, Shuts Down Illegal Refineries in Niger Delta
Story: Written by Joseph November 25,2025
Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, have recovered stolen crude oil products worth over N150 million in a series of operations across the Niger Delta.
In a statement on Monday, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, said soldiers dismantled multiple illegal refining sites and arrested four suspected oil thieves, seizing more than 109,000 litres of petroleum products between November 10 and 23, 2025.
The haul included 88,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 21,355 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil (AGO). Operations covered Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, and Bayelsa States.
In Ahoada LGA, Rivers State, three illicit refineries were shut down, yielding 40,000 litres of crude and 20,000 litres of AGO. Along the Imo River, troops discovered three more refining sites, eight drum pots, seven drum receivers, one fibre boat, and over 14,700 litres of crude in Oyigbo LGA.
At Abuloma, Okrika LGA, intelligence-led raids uncovered 1,050 sacks containing over 32,000 litres of crude, while in Abonnema Creek, Akuku-Toru LGA, a boat from Cotonou was intercepted with over 1,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
In Akwa Ibom State, a suspected storage facility at Ikot Akpan, Ekparakwa, was raided, recovering 520 litres of refined AGO stored in drums and jerricans. Meanwhile, in Delta State, operations at DAEWOO yard in Ekpan, Uvwie LGA, led suspects to flee with wooden boats loaded with jerricans containing crude.
Operations in Bayelsa State continue to restrict the activities of oil thieves, the statement added.
Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, General Officer Commanding 6 Division, commended the troops for their dedication and urged them to maintain pressure on economic saboteurs. He also called on local residents to support military efforts by providing reliable intelligence about criminal activities in their communities.
