The Nigerian Navy has announced the seizure of 531,500 litres of illegally refined petroleum products during the first quarter of 2026, as part of Operation Delta Sentinel.
In a statement released on Friday, the Navy said it conducted 183 operations between January and March, resulting in the arrest of 18 suspects linked to crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.
February recorded the highest volume of recovered products at 360,700 litres, followed by January (118,800 litres) and March (52,000 litres).
Launched on 13 January, Operation Delta Sentinel replaced Operation Delta Sanity II and incorporates enhanced surveillance, improved intelligence coordination, and a structured quarterly review mechanism.
Key milestones included the seizure of 45,000 litres of stolen products in Rivers State (20–23 January), the interception of an 18-tonne barge on 13 February, the discovery of a 96,000-litre illegal wellhead in Bayelsa on 23 February, and the recovery of 34,000 litres on 5 March.
Operations intensified in March across Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa, particularly around Warri South-West, Oteghele Creek, Ogbe-Ijoh, Alakiri River, and the Ogbia/Egbema/Ndoni axis. Notable successes included the recovery of 45,000 litres of crude oil at Alakiri River on 14 March and the interception of 44,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) at Ogbologo on 21 March, where eight suspects were arrested.
Additional recoveries ranged from 4,000 to over 21,000 litres, alongside the dismantling of illegal oil infrastructure. At least 12 illegal refinery sites, four storage facilities, three vessels, and two wellhead or pipeline connections were destroyed during the period.
The Navy noted a gradual decline in the estimated market value of recovered products, suggesting that sustained operations are undermining the economic viability of oil theft.
It reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-driven missions and stronger inter-agency collaboration to dismantle oil theft networks, in line with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas.
