Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division in Port Harcourt have recovered stolen crude oil and refined products valued at more than N150 million during a series of operations across the Niger Delta.

In a statement yesterday, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, said the operations conducted between November 10 and 23, 2025, in collaboration with other security agencies led to the dismantling of multiple illegal refining camps and the arrest of four suspected oil thieves.

Over 109,000 litres of stolen petroleum products were seized, including 88,000 litres of crude oil and 21,355 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

Breakdown of Operations Across States

Troops shut down three illegal refining sites in Ahoada LGA, recovering 40,000 litres of stolen crude and 20,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.
Along the Imo River in Oyigbo LGA, they uncovered three more refining sites, eight drum pots, seven drum receivers, a fibre boat, and over 14,700 litres of stolen crude in areas including Asa, Obeakpo, Lekuma, and Abiama.
In Okrika LGA, soldiers found a compound in Abuloma containing about 1,050 sacks filled with over 32,000 litres of stolen crude.
At Abonnema Creek in Akuku-Toru LGA, a Cotonou boat transporting 25 sacks holding more than 1,000 litres of illegal AGO was intercepted.

Troops raided a suspected storage facility in Ikot Akpan, Ekparakwa (Abak LGA), where they recovered over 520 litres of illegally refined AGO stored in drums and jerrycans, along with several empty containers.

At the DAEWOO yard in Ekpan, Uvwie LGA, suspected oil thieves fled into the creeks on sighting troops, abandoning wooden boats loaded with jerrycans. Soldiers recovered three 25-litre jerrycans containing 75 litres of crude oil.

The Army noted that troops continue to restrict the activities of criminal groups across the state.

The General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, praised the troops for their commitment and urged them to sustain the pressure on oil thieves and other economic saboteurs.
He also appealed to residents of the Niger Delta to support ongoing military operations by providing reliable intelligence on criminal activities in their communities.