The Nigerian Navy says its operations against crude oil theft have resulted in the arrest of more than 230 suspects and the dismantling of 241 illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta since January 2026.
The Navy said this while commending the Uyo Federal High Court for sentencing nine persons to five and 10 years’ imprisonment for crude oil theft under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
The convicts were arrested on February 7 during an intelligence-led operation while allegedly stealing crude oil from the ASABO-D oil wellhead in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
He said Operation DELTA SENTINEL, launched in January 2026, had leveraged intelligence-driven surveillance, precision interdictions and sustained maritime operations to tackle crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage across the Niger Delta.
The operation, he said, had also led to the recovery of more than 6.44 million litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, while disrupting sophisticated criminal networks.
“These operational achievements underscore the Navy’s unwavering resolve to deny economic saboteurs the freedom to exploit the nation’s hydrocarbon resources, while protecting critical national infrastructure and reinforcing energy security,” he said.
Folorunsho attributed the renewed operational momentum to the strategic leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas.
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He said Abbas’ emphasis on intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration and enhanced maritime domain awareness had strengthened the Navy’s capacity to combat maritime crime.
According to him, the efforts also support the policy direction of President Bola Tinubu to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
The naval spokesman said successful interdictions at sea could only achieve their full strategic value when they resulted in timely convictions that reinforced the rule of law and served as a deterrent to criminal networks.
“The Navy commends the Judiciary for this landmark judgement and appreciates the Department of State Services for its professionalism in seeing the case through to a successful conclusion,” he said.
Folorunsho called for the accelerated adjudication of pending crude oil theft cases to strengthen deterrence, uphold accountability and support efforts to protect Nigeria’s maritime resources.
He also warned individuals, groups and organized criminal syndicates involved in crude oil theft and other illicit activities to desist, saying the latest conviction showed that perpetrators could not rely on the remoteness of oil-producing communities, waterways or oil installations to evade justice.
He urged law-abiding citizens and host communities to provide credible information on activities threatening the country’s critical oil and gas infrastructure.
“The cooperation of host communities is vital to denying criminal elements the local support and freedom of action required to sustain crude oil theft and related activities,” he said.
He added that the Navy would sustain its operational pressure against economic saboteurs while strengthening collaboration with the judiciary, sister services, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
NAN
