The 6 Division, Nigerian Army, has increased its crackdown on illegal refining activities with significant successes in four states: Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Akwa Ibom. The troops of the 6 Division have been conducting significant military operations in the Niger Delta to combat oil theft and pipeline sabotage.
With the removal of six illegal refining sites close to an abandoned wellhead in Joinkrama 4 and Ahoada West Local Government Area, Rivers State experienced the most significant breakthrough.
Additionally, the troops seized six ovens, reservoirs, and receivers with more than 300,000 gallons of automotive gas oil (AGO) and over 300,000 gallons of crude oil that had been stolen.
Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, the acting Deputy Director, 6 Division, Army Public Relations, signed a statement revealing the development.
The statement stated that the operation took place between July 14 and July 20, 2025 as part of a joint effort with other security agencies.
Our troops have disrupted illegal refining operations as well as destroyed their crucial supply networks, the statement read.
In the Obiafor, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA), troops discovered several dug-out pits, two of which contained more than 5,700 litres of crude oil that had not been identified.
At the riverside, two boats loaded with ten sacks of condensates were also spotted.
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A Sienna vehicle without a license plate was intercepted while carrying 32 sacks of AGO that had been stolen in Elele Town in the Ikwerre LGA.
On the same axis, troops discovered a dug-out pit filled with 1,200 litres of condensate, along with hoses, drums, and metal ovens, as well as an illegal connection point and a dug-out pit on the same axis.
Danjuma reaffirmed the Army’s commitment, saying, “We will defeat the enemies of Nigeria’s economic stability with continued support and intelligence from locals.”
He claimed that in the Yenagoa LGA, four dug-out pits and four illegal refining sites were constructed around Biseni in Bayelsa State.
Five processing cooking ovens were destroyed during the raid, while over 10,000 litres of stolen AGO were recovered.
Two suspected oil thieves were apprehended on Gana Road in the Sapele LGA after Delta State troopers moved from Javel Sharp Sand Waterside based on reliable information.
The suspects were found with 30 bags weighing more than 1,500 litres of illegally refined AGO on two boats.
Further, the statement confirmed that the troops “continued to dominate the operational landscape,” effectively deterring illegal refining operations and guaranteeing criminals’ lack of freedom of movement in Akwa Ibom.
Major General Emmanuel Emekah, the general officer commanding the 6th division, commended the troops for their efforts, and urged them to continue to press on saboteurs and criminals in the area.
Emekah remarked that the troops must maintain the operational tempo while keeping economic saboteurs at a minimum.
