Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), have recovered approximately 75,000 litres of stolen crude oil during a targeted anti-bunkering operation in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday.
The successful interdiction was carried out by the 146 Battalion (Maritime) following a tip-off regarding illicit activities within the maritime domain. Military personnel discovered the massive consignment loaded into a large wooden boat, commonly known as a Cotonou boat, which was found anchored deep within the Lady B creeks.
Security expert Zagazola Makama, who first reported the development, confirmed that the vessel was suspected of being prepared for illegal bunkering before it was intercepted. Military sources stated that the recovered products and the vessel were handled in strict accordance with the standing operational directives of the Joint Task Force to prevent further economic sabotage.
The recovery comes amid an intensified crackdown on oil theft across the Niger Delta. In a related development on Sunday, personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder intercepted an additional 44,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and arrested eight suspects in the Degema and Ogbogoro areas of the state.
Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, emphasised that these operations align with the mandate of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to eliminate maritime crimes. Folorunsho noted that the Navy remains "resolute in the battle against oil theft" to safeguard critical national assets and boost the federation’s revenue.
The military authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining this operational tempo to meet national crude production targets for 2026. No arrests were immediately reported in the Bonny operation as suspects reportedly fled into the mangroves upon sighting the approaching troops.