The Nigerian Navy said its operations conducted in the Niger Delta region between January and February 2024 has led to the arrest and recovery of stolen crude oil from different criminal gangs operating in the region.
The recovered items are 60,815.77 barrels of crude oil worth about $5.218 million (N8.12bn); 557,580 litres of illegally refined Automatic Gas Oil (AGO) worth N497 million; Dual-Purpose Kerosene (DPK) worth N5.5 million and 9,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at N5.490 million.
A statement by Rear Admiral AO Ayo-Vaughan, Director of Information of the Nigerian Navy, said the oil thieves were denied about N8.6 billion, which could have been used to perpetrate acts inimical to national security and prosperity.
Giving a breakdown of the various arrests made in the period under review, Admiral Ayo-Vaughan said a total of 51 wooden boats were arrested while 105 illegal refining ovens, 85 reservoirs and 288 dugout pits were destroyed.
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He said 41 Illegal Refining Sites (IRS) and three fibre boats were also destroyed during the operations.
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