The Nigerian Navy has arrested 259 suspects and deactivated 168 illegal refining sites as part of its intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering between November 2025 and November 2026.
The Navy also recovered more than 7.48 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, destroyed 363 dugout pits and impounded four vessels suspected of involvement in oil theft.
The figures were contained in the service’s operational scorecard highlighting its achievements during the first year of Vice Admiral Idi Abbas as Chief of the Naval Staff.
The Navy further disclosed that it secured nine convictions for offences relating to crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism during the period.
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A major component of its operations was the activation of Operation Delta Sentinel in January 2026 to strengthen the fight against illegal bunkering, petroleum theft and other maritime crimes.
To improve its operational capacity, the service commissioned three high-speed patrol vessels, NNS OLOIBIRI, NNS MAMBILA and NNS GURARA, in June 2026.
The Navy also reported maintaining Nigeria’s zero-piracy status through intelligence-driven maritime security operations.
The crackdown comes amid persistent concerns over crude oil theft, which threatens government revenue, damages critical petroleum infrastructure and undermines Nigeria’s oil production capacity.
Sustaining these operations and ensuring the prosecution of suspects will remain important to protecting the country’s petroleum resources and strengthening economic security.
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