No fewer than 76 vessels have been seized, at least 242 suspects arrested, and more than 800 illegal refining sites destroyed by the Nigerian Navy in anti-oil theft operations during a two-year crackdown under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Rampant oil theft from pipelines and wells has crippled Nigeria’s oil industry in recent years, damaging government finances and stifling exports.
The country has also not been able to meet its target of hitting 3 million barrels per day, with production fluctuating around 1.5 million barrels per day.
In 2022, the country’s production dropped below 1 million barrels per day, spurring a need for action.
According to Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, at a briefing in the capital Abuja on Thursday, since June 2023, naval authorities have seized around 171,000 barrels of crude and millions of litres of illegally refined fuels from criminal networks.
The navy also began verifying oil cargoes loaded at Nigeria’s five major export terminals in January to combat oil theft at its source, Vice Admiral Ogalla said.
The navy has acquired patrol boats, three new ships and three AW 139 Trekker helicopters.
It is also building two additional seaward defence boats and will take delivery of two 76-meter offshore patrol vessels from Dearsan Shipyard in Turkey.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s leading oil exporters and its largest oil producer. However, the industrial-scale oil theft has posed a major threat to communities and the wider economy.
Oil theft continue to cost Nigeria millions of Dollars each month— with about $23 billion in oil revenue lost in 2022, one of the highest in recent years.
This forced Nigeria to slip as the continent’s largest exporter, according to figures from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
However, in the last two years, it appears to be bouncing back and authorities hope improved security measures to help tackle criminals will let them win the war against oil theft for good.