Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have arrested 23 suspected oil thieves and deactivated 13 artisanal refineries during intensified operations across the Niger Delta region.
The operations, conducted between April 21 and 27, 2025, also led to the confiscation of over 180,000 litres of stolen petroleum products. The Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, disclosed this in a statement issued Monday in Port Harcourt.
Lt. Col. Danjuma said the operations spanned Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Delta States, as troops, working in synergy with other security agencies, sustained an aggressive crackdown on oil theft and related crimes.
He quoted the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, as urging troops to maintain the momentum against all forms of economic sabotage. The GOC also appealed to residents of the Niger Delta to support military efforts by providing credible information on criminal activities.
Daily Trust reports that just last weekend, a deadly explosion at a site used for storing illegally refined crude oil in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers State, claimed over four lives.
