The Nigerian Navy says it apprehended no fewer than 215 suspected oil thieves and 26 vessels in 2024.

It also said 468 illegal refinery sites were deactivated within the period under the auspices of Operation Delta Sanity.

The naval chief of policy and plans, Ibrahim Dewu, said this on Monday in Abuja during a news conference on the activities lined up to commemorate the 69th anniversary celebrations of the navy.

Mr Dewu said an estimated 6.5 million litres of stolen crude oil and seven million litres of illegally refined automated gas oil were seized and appropriately handled.

He added that 361 wooden boats, 1,107 dugout pits and 279 storage tanks were also deactivated.

He said more than 103 illegal refinery sites have been destroyed since January this year, and 34 suspects linked to crude oil theft have been arrested.

Also, 39 wooden boats and one ship involved in this menace were seized. Additionally, approximately 773,000 tons of crude oil and 150,000 refined products have been recovered this year.

“All these efforts have impacted positively on Nigeria’s crude oil production, in line with the president and commander-in-chief’s directive to eradicate crude oil theft in order to ramp up Nigeria’s oil production and exports,” he said.

Mr Dewu said the anniversary celebration, or ‘Navy Week’, was scheduled from May 23 to June 1.

He said the navy had grown from its humble beginnings with a handful of coastal boats into a force to be reckoned with, not only in the West African sub-region, but also in the Gulf of Guinea and the entire sub-Saharan Africa.

“In furtherance of this, the Nigerian Navy has taken the initiative to ensure that the entire Gulf of Guinea is free of piracy and other maritime crimes,” he added. 

(NAN)