The Nigerian Navy has recorded major operational successes in the second quarter of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, recovering more than 4.698 million litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products while arresting over 91 suspects involved in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, militancy and other economic crimes across the Niger Delta.
The achievements were disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, who said the sustained operations coincided with Nigeria’s crude oil production rising above its OPEC production quota.
According to the statement, between April and June 2026, the Navy carried out more than 580 intelligence-driven operations across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River and Lagos states, leading to the dismantling of over 48 illegal refining sites, the interception of several vessels used for crude oil theft and the destruction of criminal logistics networks supporting economic sabotage.
Among the major breakthroughs was the arrest of the motor tankers MKPODU, WESTAF and STELIOS K, allegedly linked to the theft of more than 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil. The Navy also recovered over 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products and 310,000 litres of stolen crude oil from a single illegal refining site in Ndoni, Rivers State.
The statement noted that coordinated riverine operations led to the destruction of illegal refining camps, reservoirs, dugout pits, storage facilities, warehouses, concealed fuel caches, illegal pipeline connections and militant hideouts. It added that intelligence revealed attempts by criminal syndicates to reactivate previously dismantled refining camps, prompting sustained follow-up operations that prevented the resurgence of illegal refining activities.
The Navy said the operational gains align with the recent announcement by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) that Nigeria’s crude oil production reached 1.735 million barrels per day in June 2026, representing 104 per cent of the country’s OPEC production quota and the highest production level recorded since April 2020.
According to the Service, the increased crude oil output reflects improved security around critical oil and gas infrastructure and demonstrates the impact of coordinated efforts by security agencies to combat crude oil theft.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain, safeguarding strategic national assets and supporting the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
It added that intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration would be sustained to further dismantle crude oil theft networks in line with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas Admiralty Medal.
