The Nigerian Navy deactivated 22 illegal refining sites and recovered over 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products between January and March 2026.
This was disclosed on Saturday, April 18, via the Navy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, detailing its Operation Delta Sentinel activities for the first quarter of 2026.
The operation covered key oil-producing states, including Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
Operation Delta Sentinel is an anti-crude oil theft initiative by the Nigerian Navy aimed at curbing illegal oil refining, pipeline vandalism, and related maritime crimes in the Niger Delta region.
Under Operation Delta Sentinel, the Nigerian Navy deactivated 22 illegal refining sites within the three-month period under review.
One of the major highlights of the operation was the seizure of the vessel MV Amukpoye, which was laden with 180 tons of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, on February 13. Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.
In total, 98 suspects were apprehended, while more than 98 dugout pits used for illegal refining activities were destroyed during the operations.
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to tackling oil theft, stating that, “Nigerian Navy will sustain efforts to eradicate crude oil theft.”
