By Victor Akaa.
The troops of the 6 Division Nigerian Army have destroyed 19 artisanal refineries and recovered over 138,000 litres of stolen products in a series of operations conducted from March 17 to 23, 2025.
The 6 Division’s Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma in a statement Sunday ,said the feat achieved was another significant blow to oil thieves by the troops in the zone.
He noted that the operations, carried out jointly with other security agencies, resulted in the arrest of 12 suspected oil thieves.
According to him, the troops’ efforts were focused on the Joint Operations Area (JOA), where they conducted intelligence-led operations in Rivers State.
He said one notable success was the interception of a tanker laden with 60,000 litres of stolen crude around Apajo – Iwoji – Iwofe road in Obio Akpor Local Government Area (LGA).
The statement explained that the driver abandoned the truck, and a subsequent search revealed multiple plate numbers.
In addition to the tanker interception, the troops conducted clearance operations at the fringes of the Imo River, which resulted in the deactivation of numerous artisanal refineries, 64 drum pots and 15 drum receivers with over 4,500 litres of stolen products recovered.
At Kumufari Creek in Degema LGA, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma noted that troops discovered an abandoned oven, with 40 sacks filled with over 1,200 litres of stolen crude.
He further stated that, at Okotokolomabia/Okoloma Lounge area in Bonny Island LGA, troops raided a site, where suspected oil thieves fled and abandoned their equipment.
The recovered items included a 6 KVA generator, one welding machine, 5 drilling machines, 2 drilling cups, 38 bolts and nuts amongst several other items.
In the same vein, troops also raided seven illegal bunkering camps around Joinkrama 4 and Biseni in Ahoada West and Yenagoa LGAs of Rivers and Bayelsa States respectively.
During the raid, illegal refining sites were destroyed with over 25,000 litres of stolen crude and 850 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil recovered respectively. Other items recovered included two wheelbarrows and a wooden boat.
This was in addition to over 1,550 litres of stolen crude in cellophane bags on the waterways. Similar seizures were also made at Obiafu in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.
In Delta State, he said around Masogar in Ethiope West LGA, an illegal bunkering open truck, with an inbuilt iron tank with registration number Edo Ekp 83 XB was intercepted along NNPC/Chevron/Seplat pipeline.
The truck was loaded with over 20,000 litres of stolen crude, with another truck positioned behind it, waiting to be loaded with stolen products.
Meanwhile, in Akwa Ibom State, along the Iko – Okorete Communities road in Eastern Obolo LGA, a Toyota Avalon with Registration Number Lagos LSR 796 FD loaded with over 1,620 litres of stolen products in 54 cellophane bags was intercepted. The two occupants of the vehicle were arrested.
All the suspects according to the statement, have been handed over to the appropriate agencies for prosecution, while items and products confiscated were handled in accordance with the existing operational mandate.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah has charged the troops to scale up the anti-crude oil theft operations in the JOA in order to effectively deny oil thieves and associated criminals freedom of action.
He also called on the good people of the region to continue to provide credible information on the activities of criminal elements in their domain to security agencies.
Enugu Reporters gathered that the success of the operations is a testament to the Nigerian Army’s commitment to combating oil theft and ensuring the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure
