Troops foil ₦521m oil theft, recover 452,396 litres of stolen crude oil in one week

The Defence Headquarters has said that it foiled an attempt to steal crude oil worth over ₦521 million and recovered 452,396 litres of stolen crude oil along with other illegally refined petroleum products in one week.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Markus Kangye, disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja, highlighting the military’s continued efforts to curb economic sabotage in Nigeria’s oil-rich regions.

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During the week under review, DHQ said that the land component of the Armed Forces, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), security agencies, and hybrid forces, conducted a series of operations.

Kangye noted these it said included fighting and confidence-building patrols, raids, ambushes, clearance operations, and search and rescue missions.

Troops neutralized several terrorists, apprehended their collaborators, rescued kidnapped victims, and received surrendered militants.

“Security forces also arrested gunrunners, oil theft collaborators, and other violent extremists”, he added.

According to DHQ, the air component carried out multiple close air support missions, armed reconnaissance patrols, and air interdiction missions to further weaken criminal elements.

According to Kangye, between February 27 and March 6, 2025, troops neutralized 92 terrorists and arrested 111 suspected insurgents.

“18 individuals involved in oil theft were apprehended, while 75 kidnapped victims were rescued.

“In the South-South region, troops prevented oil theft valued at ₦521,802,360, seizing 452,396 litres of stolen crude oil, 224,175 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 1,920 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

“The operation also led to the destruction of 87 crude oil cooking ovens, 28 dugout pits, 23 boats, 33 storage tanks, 61 drums, and 47 illegal refining sites. Other seized items included pumping machines, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and vehicles”, Kangye stated.

Troops also recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition, including 117 firearms and 2,939 rounds of assorted ammunition.

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“Among the recovered weapons were 58 AK-47 rifles, 21 locally fabricated guns, 26 dane guns, seven pump-action guns, four PKT guns, two General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), a QJC W85 gun, an HK21 gun, and an M60 machine gun.

“Other recovered arms included 11 RPG bombs, two RPG tubes, and a fabricated 60mm mortar. Security forces also seized 2,278 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 26 live cartridges, 64 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 18 magazines, and other assorted arms”, Kangye stated.

The military reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal elements across the country.