Army cracks down on oil thieves in Niger Delta

Abdullateef Fowewe

Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, alongside other security agencies, have arrested nine suspected oil thieves and shut down ten illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta from April 1–26.

In a statement on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, noted, “Troops have continued to dominate the Niger Delta Region (NDR) operational landscape, recording significant operational successes.”

Operations according to him seized over 130,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 26,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), worth more than ₦250 million.

Equipment for theft was destroyed as well.

Key hauls included a truck with 45,000 litres in Rivers State’s Ahoada East LGA, reservoirs with 35,000 litres of crude and 26,000 litres of AGO in Ahoada West, and more in Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states.

Major General Emmanuel Eric Emekah, GOC 6 Division, commended the troops.

“He further charged them to sustain the operational tempo against economic saboteurs,” the statement added.