By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian Navy confiscated more than 8.1 million barrels of stolen crude oil and 86,500 MT of illegally refined AGO in four years.
The Chief of Training and Operations (Navy), Rear Adm. Olusegun Ferreira, made this known while briefing newsmen on the activities of the navy on Monday in Abuja.
Ferreira also said that the navy confiscated 788,312 litres of illegally sourced PMS and about 21 million litres of Kerosene within the same period.
The navy, he said, also apprehended 120 barges, 181 speed boats, 1,453 wooden boats laden with stolen products as well as 118 vehicles conveying stolen petroleum products in the last four years.
According to him, anti-oil theft operations remains the navy’s most critical function due to the contribution of oil revenue to Nigeria’s economic survival.
He added that the navy deactivated more than 1,528 illegal refining sites and 8,790 storage tanks, and arrested 392 suspected oil thieves.
“The suspects were handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.
“Of particular note were the arrests of MT SWEET MIRI and MT VILLANIRIS I both filled with a combined quantity of four million litres of stolen crude oil.
“In view of its transnational nature, the fight against oil theft, also involves collaboration with our neighbours such as Cameroon, Benin and Togo who assisted in the apprehension of vessels such as MT NEW ANGEL and MT JASMINE involved in crude oil theft,” he said.
Ferreira said the navy recently hosted “Exercises CROCODILE LIFT and GRAND AFRICAN NEMO”, which are multinational exercise involving Nigerian Navy Ships, boats and aircrafts as well as ships from regional navies and partners such as France, UK and Spain.
This, according to him, is part of navy’s regional efforts to enhance maritime security,
He said the exercises were geared toward enhancing their international partnership and collaboration to curb maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
He added that the Nigerian navy has ensured compliance for legitimate upstream and downstream operations on behalf of the regulators.
According to him, the Nigerian navy’s efforts have greatly curbed oil theft and led to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024 as revealed by the NUPRC.
Ferreira lamented that there had been misrepresentations in certain quarters aimed at tarnishing the image of the navy by mischief makers whose freedom of action in oil theft were severely degraded by the navy.
“In spite of the disruptions by these unpatriotic elements, the Nigerian Navy has remained critical in the success of several strategic initiatives such as the Presidential Crude Oil Barging Regime.
“The Nigerian navy will continue to remain focused in carrying out our functions as a highly professional and dedicated force in line with our statutory roles.
“In doing so, the Navy will continue to work with Sister Services, partners and credible stakeholders in line with the whole-of-society approach in protecting our nation’s resources for economic prosperity and national development,” he added. (NAN)
