Nigerian Navy seizes boat with 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Akwa Ibom 

The Commander of the NNS Jubilee, Commodore Martins Fakrogha, disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of the State.

He revealed that the vessel was intercepted on Tuesday around 5:00 a.m. as it was nearing one of the state’s oil fields.

Fakrogha noted that a reliable source had alerted the Navy about a large vessel, identified as a Cotonou boat, and spotted approximately 23.9 nautical miles off the coast of Imo River.

“From a credible source, a large boat known as Cotonou boat was sighted at about 23.9 nautical miles seaward of Imo River entrance,” he said.

He further explained that the crew of the boat fled after noticing a vessel from the Private Maritime Logistics Support Company (PMLSC), which was carrying Navy personnel.

Apart from the 100,000 litres of crude oil, other items seized include 12 Gee Pee tanks, three service tanks, four submersible pumps, and three outboard engines.

Fakrogha noted that the operation that led to the seizure was part of Operation Delta Sanity phase 2, which aims to combat illegal activities in the Niger Delta region, particularly, oil theft, pipeline vandalism, smuggling, and piracy.

“The objectives of the Operation Delta Sanity 2 is to checkmate illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, smuggling, piracy amongst other maritime crimes in the Eastern Flank of the country’s maritime environment with a view to increase the country’s crude oil production,” he explained.

He stressed that the Navy will continue to demonstrate its commitment to helping Nigeria boost its crude oil production, and minimise maritime-related crimes.

He warned oil thieves and other criminals operating in the region to stop their acts of “economic sabotage” or risk the wrath of the Nigerian Navy.

The Operation Delta Sanity is an operation of the Nigerian Navy to combat oil theft in Nigeria’s Niger Delta and Eastern regions. At the flagoff of the operation in January 2024,  the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, assured that the operation would the country “to end the menace of crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other forms of insecurity within Nigeria’s maritime environment.”

‘Operation Delta Sanity’ replaced ‘Operation Dakatar Da Barawo,’ which was launched in April 2022. Since the launch of OPDS, the Nigerian Navy has announced various seizures of illegal oil bunks and vessels, and arrests of oil thieves.

Lokpobiri expressed concern about the persistent sabotage of the Trans Niger Pipeline, a major pipeline that transports about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day. He said he hoped that the Navy would help reduce the scale of theft.