(DDM) – Nigerian Army troops have dismantled multiple illegal refining camps in the Niger Delta, recovering over 45,000 litres of stolen fuel and arresting 17 suspects.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) confirmed that the raids, coordinated by the 6 Division, were carried out across Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States between September 8 and 20.
In Warri South, soldiers uncovered a metal storage site containing 20,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil and intercepted a tanker loaded with an additional 10,000 litres.
Troops also destroyed two refining camps in Bayelsa State, where pits held about 7,000 litres of illegally refined products.
In Rivers and Akwa Ibom, vehicles, boats, and sacks filled with stolen fuel were intercepted in transit.
Security sources said the soldiers also discovered a vandalised section of pipeline at the Obiafor oil field, believed to have been tapped for illegal siphoning.
The military emphasized that these operations were aimed at denying oil thieves and vandals freedom of movement while safeguarding national energy infrastructure.
Officials noted that crude oil theft remains one of Nigeria’s gravest security and economic challenges, costing the country billions of dollars annually in lost revenue.
The army stressed that dismantling refining camps not only cuts off funding sources for criminal networks but also helps to reduce environmental degradation caused by unchecked artisanal refining.
In recent years, international watchdogs and Nigerian authorities have raised alarms over the impact of illegal refining on the Niger Delta’s fragile ecosystem.
Polluted rivers, farmlands destroyed by soot, and rising health concerns among communities have been directly linked to the illicit fuel trade.
Security analysts told DDM that the latest operation demonstrates the military’s renewed determination to hit fuel theft syndicates hard.
They argue that cutting off stolen product supply chains could restore stability in Nigeria’s oil sector if consistently sustained.
The 6 Division Command urged Niger Delta communities to support security agencies by providing timely intelligence against criminal elements sabotaging national assets.
With Nigeria heavily reliant on oil revenue, analysts say that stamping out crude theft is critical for stabilizing the economy, rebuilding investor confidence, and safeguarding local livelihoods.
Military authorities pledged that the crackdown will continue until every refining camp in the region is dismantled.
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