Nigerian Army, in conjunction with other security agencies, have arrested 28 suspected oil thieves and recovered 290,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.

The Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel, Jonah Danjuma, who disclosed this in a statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the success was recorded in its operation in states of the region between October 6 and 19.

The statement said: “The operations, conducted between October 6 and 19, 2025, resulted in the arrest of 28 suspected oil thieves, the deactivation of four illegal refining sites, and seizure of over 290,000 litres of stolen products across the region.”

Danjuma said the operations were conducted in parts of Rivers, Abia, Delta and Bayelsa states, adding that suspects were arrested in each of the operations.

It read: “Several operations were conducted across Rivers State with tremendous successes recorded.

At Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area. two wooden boats were intercepted while loading Premium Motor Spirit from a vessel offloading the product at a jetty. Additionally, two boats were intercepted at Okrika, with one loaded with over 33,000 litres of stolen products at a jetty in Okrika. Relatedly, another wooden boat loaded with over 5,000 litres of stolen products was also intercepted in the area.

“In a related development, following a tip-off on illegal oil bunkering activities around a pipeline after Sterling Global Company Road, Akpabo, at Elele Alimini in Emohua LGA, troops swung into action and impounded a tanker with registration number Rivers JJN 287 ZU coming out of the pipeline right of way.

“The vehicle was suspected to have loaded with 90,000 litres of stolen products from the site. Two suspects, the driver and his motor boy, were taken into custody. Also, at Okolomade in Abua/Odual LGA, over 2,600 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil were recovered.”