Nigerian army cracks down on illegal oil bunkering, arrests 50 suspects in Niger Delta

The Nigerian Army’s 6 Division has successfully concluded a two-week operation against illegal oil bunkering and theft, leading to the arrest of 50 suspects and the destruction of 11 illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta.

The operations, which ran from June 30 to July 13, 2025, were carried out in collaboration with other security agencies in Rivers, Abia, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom states.

According to a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, the special operations were a decisive move to disrupt bunkering networks, smuggling routes, and oil theft infrastructure.

The raids resulted in the recovery of 25,000 litres of stolen products, including crude oil, Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).

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The statement detailed the specific successes of the operation, including the destruction of seven illegal refining sites along the Imo River, where over 6,000 litres of crude oil were recovered.

In Rivers State, an illegal refining site was dismantled in the Obiafor community, with dugout pits containing 3,000 litres of AGO, 2,000 litres of DPK, and 1,000 litres of crude oil.

In Delta State, troops seized a speedboat and a wooden boat laden with over 1,720 litres of stolen products. In Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, raids uncovered and confiscated various equipment and illegally refined products.