Troops under Operation Delta Safe have uncovered and dismantled 27 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region in the month of May, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) revealed on Sunday.
According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, over 96 pieces of equipment were seized from the illicit sites. The operations also prevented the theft of petroleum products valued at over ₦31.4 million.
Items recovered during the raids include 77,530 litres of stolen crude oil, 10,340 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 2,700 litres of Dual-Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 1,240 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
In addition to the liquid assets, troops also seized multiple equipment and tools used in illegal refining, including outboard engines, pumping machines, pipes, drilling equipment, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and nine vehicles.
“Troops sustained aggressive operations targeting oil thieves and other criminal elements.
They destroyed 21 illegal crude oil cooking ovens, 34 dugout pits, 13 boats, one barge, one tugboat, 40 storage tanks, and nine drums used in illegal refining,” Gen. Kangye stated.
He added that 27 suspected oil thieves and other criminals were arrested, with various arms and ammunition recovered during the operations.
In a separate security operation on June 1 in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, troops conducted anti-kidnapping and anti-criminality raids, leading to the arrest of three suspects. Recovered items included weapons, mobile phones, laptops, television sets, and vehicles.
Troops also apprehended 13 additional suspects in coordinated crackdowns across Sapele, Aniocha North, and Ughelli LGAs in Delta State, as well as Degema in Rivers State and Ekeremor in Bayelsa State.
The military emphasized its commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal networks sabotaging the nation’s oil infrastructure and endangering lives in the region.