Navy uncovers 75,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Delta
The Nigerian Navy has uncovered 75,000 litres of suspected crude oil stored in three dugout reservoirs in the Oteghele area of Delta State during two separate operations aimed at combating crude oil theft. This was…
Crude oil theft and illegal refining remain among the most persistent threats to Nigeria's oil industry, particularly in the Niger Delta, where vandalised pipelines and makeshift bush refineries have cost the country billions of dollars in lost revenue and caused significant environmental damage. The Nigerian Navy, through riverine and creek patrols such as Operation Delta Sentinel, is one of several security agencies tasked with curbing the trade, often uncovering illegal storage sites, dugout reservoirs and improvised refining camps across Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Both Tribune Online and ThisDay report that naval troops found three dugout reservoirs holding a combined 75,000 litres of suspected stolen crude in the Oteghele area of Delta State, describing it as part of an intensified crackdown on oil theft. Neither account yet details the market value of the seized product, arrests made, or the fate of those linked to the operation, leaving questions about follow-up prosecutions and how the crude will be disposed of.