The 6 Division, Nigerian Army, has recovered about 238,500 litres of stolen crude oil from suspected oil thieves in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.
Lt.-Col. Danjuma Danjuma, the division’s Spokesman, told journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday that the crude oil was seized from trucks and illegal refining sites in the states.
He said that five suspects who were apprehended in the process would soon be prosecuted.
“These seizures are part of ongoing efforts to combat oil theft and illegal bunkering of petroleum products in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Danjuma said that 110,000 litres of crude oil stored in an oven and a massive metal reservoir were discovered at an illegal refining site along Dasaba Creek in Bayelsa.
The spokesman added that troops of the 16 Brigade intercepted a truck with registration number, UDH 983 XR on Elebele-Emeyal Road, Ogbia, carrying 30,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
He said that acting on intelligence, soldiers, traced inter-connected hoses from the Indorama Petrochemical pipeline, Eleme, Rivers, to a tank located in the bush.
“More than 33,000 litres of crude oil, two pumping machines, a long hose and eleven drums used for the crime were recovered from the site.
“At Cawthorne Channel 1, troops, collaborating with other security agencies, deactivated an illegal refining site containing more than 5,500 litres of crude oil.
“The site is located near Well Head 8, behind Glisten Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers,” he added.
READ ALSO Jilli Airstrike: Supporters Of Terrorists Will Be Treated As Bandits, Defence Minister Warns Defence Minister Christopher Musa has warned that supporters of terrorists would be treated as criminals. He said this on Monday as he reacted to the airstrike carried out by the Nigerian Air Force airstrike in Jilli, Borno State, over the weekend. Speaking after an expanded security meeting in Kaduna with the state governor and heads of security agencies, Musa said the operation sends a clear message to those collaborating with terrorist groups. He stressed that anyone found supporting insurgents would face the same consequences as the perpetrators. “A friend of a thief is a thief,” he said, warning civilians against associating with or providing any form of assistance to terrorists. Musa urged residents to steer clear of areas known to be used by insurgents, noting that proximity or collaboration could have grave consequences. The airstrike, carried out near the village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area, targeted what the military described as an ISWAP enclave and logistics hub. According to the Nigerian Air Force, the operation was intelligence-driven and aimed at neutralising terror elements and destroying their equipment. However, reports have emerged alleging that the strike may have affected a weekly market in the area, with civilians, including cross-border traders, reportedly among casualties. Musa, however, maintained that the strike should serve as a strong warning to those aiding insurgent activities, reaffirming the military’s resolve to intensify operations against terrorist networks. Air Component of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. Giving an update on the airstrike, the Nigerian Army in a post on its official X handle said, “The successful strike, executed on 11 April 2026, followed sustained intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions over the Bindul–Jilli axis, an area long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators.”
The army image maker further said that 63 Brigade troops seized 30,000 litres of crude oil from a truck during a routine patrol in Mosogar, Delta.
According to him, the truck was intercepted along a trunkline belonging to Seplat Energy Nigeria Limited.
“These discoveries are the result of our renewed efforts to clamp down on economic saboteurs
“We urge the public to provide security agencies with reliable intelligence to track down oil thieves and economic saboteurs,” he said
