The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on oil theft, announcing the arrest of 76 ships and over 240 suspects in the past two years as part of ongoing efforts to protect the country’s oil resources.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, said the operations had also led to the dismantling of over 800 illegal refinery sites. The Navy has seized about 171,000 barrels of stolen crude oil and millions of litres of illegal refined petroleum products from criminal organisations since June 2023.
Oil theft has long been a scourge of the Nigerian economy, sapping government revenue and undermining crude exports. In a bid to tackle the problem at its source, the navy began inspecting all oil cargoes loaded into the country’s five major export terminals earlier this year.
To increase its capacity, the Navy has expanded its fleet with the purchase of new patrol boats, three ships and three AW 139 Trekker helicopters. Construction is also underway for two new sea defence boats and two 76-metre offshore patrol vessels are expected to be delivered soon from Dearsan Shipyard in Türkiye.