Manny Ita –
The Nigerian Navy has intercepted two vessels loaded with 939 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil valued at over ₦4 billion.
The operation was confirmed by the Commander of Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, Olugbenga Oladipo, during a briefing in Calabar.
According to him, the vessels were apprehended around midnight on April 8 at a wellhead within the Calabar/Akwa Ibom joint operations area, following credible intelligence.
He stated that the mission was carried out with the support of the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Defence Staff, alongside operational backing from the Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff.
A total of 26 crew members were arrested during the interception.
The commander said additional naval and air assets were deployed immediately after the operation to secure the area. A naval vessel and a helicopter provided surveillance and control, while the seized vessels were taken into custody offshore before being moved to a naval jetty.
He further disclosed that another vessel, MT Steliosk, was intercepted on April 10 in a related operation, underscoring ongoing enforcement efforts.
The latest seizure adds to a series of crackdowns on crude oil theft across the Niger Delta. Security forces have continued operations targeting illegal refining activities and the movement of stolen petroleum products.
Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission indicates that while crude oil losses have declined in recent years, the challenge persists, with millions of barrels still lost annually.
