The Nigerian Navy says its Special Forces dismantled at least 70 illegal refinery sites and seized more than 400,000 litres of stolen crude oil across the Niger Delta in July 2025 alone. The claims come from a monthly operational update released in Abuja on Friday by Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, the Director of Naval Information.

Adams-Aliu described the intensified crackdown under Operation Delta Sanity as part of a broader push to curb crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage within Nigeria’s maritime domain. The Navy says the efforts led to the discovery and destruction of 120 dugout pits, illegal storage facilities, and various equipment used for crude oil theft and illegal refining across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States.

Key figures cited by the Navy include:

• About 411,400 litres of crude oil were denied access
• 87,825 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) intercepted
• 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) intercepted
• 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) intercepted

Highlights from the operation in July:

• On July 4, troops discovered and deactivated illegal refining sites in Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni (Rivers State), with more than 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil and 40,000 litres of refined AGO.
• On July 14, authorities conducted operations in Akwa Ibom and Delta States, resulting in multiple arrests and seizures, including smuggling attempts toward Cameroon and the uncovering of underground reservoirs containing thousands of litres of stolen crude.
• Two large-scale illicit operations were dismantled on July 22 and 23 in Biseni Community, Bayelsa, recovering over 450,000 litres of crude oil.
• Interceptions of several wooden boats used for smuggling PMS and other petroleum products, and six suspected smugglers were arrested.

Commodore Adams-Aliu emphasised the Navy’s continued resolve under the leadership of Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla to stamp out oil theft and boost national oil production. He linked the Navy’s efforts to a broader milestone announced by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which confirmed Nigeria’s oil production has surpassed 1.8 million barrels per day.

“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in its mission to ensure maritime safety, deter illicit activities, and uphold national security within the nation’s maritime domain,” he stated.

Context beyond the Navy’s update:

• A separate NEITI report indicates Nigeria lost about 619.7 million barrels of oil valued at N16.25 trillion to theft between 2009 and 2020. NEITI notes a recent decline in losses—from 36.69 million barrels in 2022 to 7.68 million barrels in 2023—attributing this to improved resource management and stronger security measures.