The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of Operation DELTA SAFE destroyed 101 illegal refining sites and arrested 219 suspects involved in crude oil theft and related crimes in the first quarter of 2026.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this during a quarterly media briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, adding that troops intensified operations across the South-South region and adjoining states to combat oil theft, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
He said troops recovered more than 547,920 litres of stolen petroleum products, including crude oil, automotive gas oil, kerosene and premium motor spirit.
What they are saying
The operation accounts for the first three months of the year. According to Onoja, troops recovered 193,570 litres of petroleum products and intercepted about 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Rivers in March alone.
Beyond operations against illegal refineries, the military also engaged in other security actions, including “neutralising suspected kidnappers, rescued victims and dismantled multiple illegal refining sites in Rivers and Imo states.”
- “Additionally, troops arrested suspected kidnappers in Edo and conducted joint operations with the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), leading to the arrest of drug suspects,” Onoja said.
He added that troops disrupted illegal oil activities in Akwa Ibom and uncovered a sabotage attempt at a wellhead, where explosives were safely neutralised, reaffirming the commitment of the Armed Forces to sustaining the offensive against economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
Get up to speed
The revelation of the numbers aligns with several reports by Nairametrics in the past few months regarding illegal crude oil refinery activities in the Niger Delta region.
- On March 23, Nairametrics reported that the Nigerian Navy intercepted about 44,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products and arrested eight suspects in Rivers State.
- Four days later, the Navy recovered over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and deactivated an illegal refining site in Bonny Local Government Area.
On March 13, the Navy destroyed an illegal crude oil storage site containing 17,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in the Bonny area, and on March 7, it dismantled illegal refining activities in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni area of Rivers State.
What you should know
Despite the crackdown, illegal crude oil refining has remained a major issue, particularly in the country’s Niger Delta region.
- Data by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) shows that crude oil theft has led to significant losses over the years. In 2021, Nigeria recorded about 37.6 million barrels of crude oil losses, averaging approximately 102,900 barrels per day.
- Losses stood at about 20.9 million barrels in 2022 (57,200 bpd), 4.3 million barrels in 2023 (11,900 bpd), and 4.1 million barrels in 2024 (11,300 bpd).
- Between January and July 2025, losses were about 2.04 million barrels, averaging 9,600 bpd.
Recently, Nairametrics reported that the Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown, destroying over 800 illegal refineries and recovering about 171,000 barrels of stolen crude oil within two years.
