In a bold escalation of its fight against crude oil theft and pipeline sabotage, the Nigerian Navy has intensified its offensive across the Niger Delta under the ongoing Operation DELTA SANITY, executing coordinated operations between April 20 and 22, 2025, in Bayelsa, Delta, and Imo States.
The high-impact crackdown resulted in multiple arrests, the dismantling of illegal refining sites, and the seizure of significant quantities of illicit petroleum products—underscoring the Navy’s renewed resolve to stamp out economic sabotage in the country’s oil-producing heartland.
Bayelsa: Suspected Vandals Apprehended, Illegal Fuel Seized
On April 20, operatives from Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH arrested four suspects allegedly engaged in pipeline vandalism. The individuals were caught red-handed with tools used to breach pipelines belonging to the Renaissance Africa Energy Company at River-Kolo Creek, a known hotspot in Bayelsa State.
A day later, the same unit intercepted two vehicles transporting sacks of illegally refined petroleum products in Olodo Community, further disrupting the regional black market fuel trade.
Delta: Refinery Camps Demolished
In a concurrent operation on April 21, personnel from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) ESCRAVOS stormed Oteghele in Obodo Omadino Community, Warri South-West LGA, Delta State, where they discovered and dismantled two illegal refining sites. The facilities included two refining ovens and ten dugout pits filled with stolen crude oil.
Further action on April 22 saw NNS DELTA deactivate two additional illegal sites in Bernnet Island and Obodo Omadino, seizing numerous drums and sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and unrefined crude oil. In total, nine dugout pits were neutralized in Delta during the operation.
Anambra: Foiled Plot Against Oil Facility
Extending their net eastward, operatives from the Naval Outpost ONITSHA on April 22 arrested two suspects allegedly plotting an attack on the SEEPCO oil facility in Oguikpele Community, Ogbaru LGA, Anambra State. The men were found in possession of a locally made rifle and 10 machetes and are believed to be connected to the deadly ambush of three soldiers on June 11, 2024.
Strategic Gains and Sustained Momentum
Across the three-day sweep, the Navy:
- Arrested six suspects
- Dismantled four illegal refinery camps
- Deactivated nine dugout pits
- Seized two vehicles involved in illegal bunkering activities
Speaking on the operation’s success, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, emphasized that the Nigerian Navy remains steadfast in its mission to protect Nigeria’s maritime domain and end the scourge of oil theft.
“These operations reflect our continued commitment to dismantling the vast criminal networks that drain our national resources and destabilize communities,” he stated.
With crude oil theft costing Nigeria billions in lost revenue annually, these operations send a clear message: the Navy is tightening its grip on the oil corridors of the Niger Delta—and there will be no safe haven for saboteurs.
