In Five Months, Nigerian Military Destroys 570 Illegal Refineries, Nabs 681 Suspects
The Commander of the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral John Okeke Madugu, has revealed that the task force dismantled 570 illegal refineries and arrested 681 suspects within five months.
He said this is part of efforts to combat crude oil theft and restore sanity in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
He said some of the arrested suspects have already been convicted, while others are still undergoing trials in various courts of law.
Rear Admiral Madugu disclosed this on Tuesday while playing host of the Defence Correspondents who are on tour at the OPDS headquarters in Igbogene, Bayelsa State.
He said the operations, carried out between January and May 2025, were part of a renewed drive to protect Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure and curb economic sabotage.
Magudu, who was represented by Commodore Patrick Meteke, the Commander Maritime Components of the operation.
Read Also:
“In the past five months, we have deactivated 570 illegal refining sites, seized over 1,500,000 litres of stolen crude, and arrested 681 individuals involved in oil theft and illegal refining activities,” he stated.
He added that the intensified military campaign has contributed significantly to boosting Nigeria’s daily crude oil production, which recently climbed to 1.8 million barrels per day, according to the latest data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Rear Admiral Madugu emphasized that OPDS, working in synergy with other security agencies and local stakeholders, will sustain its momentum until economic saboteurs are completely flushed out of the region.
“We are not relenting. We’ve adopted new surveillance techniques and intelligence-driven operations to dismantle the networks involved in crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism,” he said.
He also warned individuals and groups still engaging in illegal refining and oil theft to desist or face the full wrath of the law.
PRNigeria reports that the Nigerian government has in recent years intensified efforts to curb oil theft, which has significantly impacted national revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
