Nigerian troops recovered over 53 million litres of stolen crude oil and other refined petroleum products, estimated at over N57 billion in 2024.
This was disclosed by Edward Buba, director of Defence Media Operations, during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja. Buba highlighted the military’s commitment to combating oil theft, safeguarding national resources, and enhancing security across the country.
The defence headquarters reported that a total of 53,101,430 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,179,181 litres of illegally refined diesel, 90,595 litres of kerosene, and 156,095 litres of petrol, among other items, were recovered.
“The total value of these recoveries is estimated at N57 billion”, he added.
Additionally, Buba provided an update on the military’s operations since the start of the year, which have resulted in significant gains.
He stated that troops have neutralised 8,034 terrorists, arrested 11,623 individuals, and rescued 6,376 hostages.
In the period under review, they have also seized a substantial number of weapons and ammunition, including 4,053 AK-47 rifles, 1,123 locally fabricated guns, 731 dane guns, and 240 pump-action guns.
According to Buba, the total ammunition recovery includes 120,247 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 41,515 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 5,373 cartridges, 1,940 assorted arms, and 25,664 rounds of assorted ammunition.
He further noted that these successes were achieved across the five active theatres of operation, namely the North-East (NE), North-West (NW), North-Central (NC), South-South (SS), and South-East (SE), where troops have faced a variety of security challenges.
The military, according to him, has maintained a heightened state of readiness to protect the nation from terrorist threats and other forms of insecurity.
“The ongoing operations are crucial to the military’s strategy of neutralizing terrorist activities and creating safer conditions for citizens.
The Nigerian Armed Forces continue to adapt and improve their strategies, steadily moving toward victory in the fight against terrorism and insecurity”, Buba noted.
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