Nigerian Navy arrests 37 suspected miners in Niger Delta

The Nigerian Navy says it has destroyed an illegal refinery site containing about 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil and arrested 37 suspected illegal miners during separate operations in the Niger Delta.

The Navy’s Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.

According to him, the operations were carried out under the Navy’s anti-oil theft campaign, Operation Delta Sentinel, as part of intensified efforts to combat crude oil theft and other economic crimes in the region.

Folorunsho explained that personnel of NNS Pathfinder uncovered the illegal refining site during a routine anti-crude oil theft patrol around the Ojekiri general area in Rivers State.

He said the illegal facility was located along the Alakiri River, where naval operatives discovered about 10 dugout pits filled with stolen crude oil.

According to the Navy spokesman, the pits contained approximately 45,000 litres of crude oil believed to have been siphoned from pipelines in the area.

“The illegal refining site and the stored crude oil were subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational procedures,” Folorunsho said.

He added that the suspected operators of the illegal refinery fled the area upon sighting naval personnel during the patrol.

Oil theft and illegal refining have remained major challenges in Nigeria’s oil-producing region, contributing to environmental pollution and significant revenue losses for the country.

Navy arrests 37 suspected illegal miners

In a separate operation, naval personnel attached to NNS Soroh arrested 37 suspected illegal miners at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Folorunsho said the suspects were apprehended while attempting to transfer an unspecified quantity of black sand from a wooden boat into two trucks waiting at the jetty.

He explained that the operation followed credible intelligence reports about ongoing illegal mining activities in the area.

The Navy spokesman noted that the operation was conducted in line with the Bayelsa State government’s directive banning black sand mining in the state.

According to him, black sand extraction in parts of the Niger Delta has raised environmental concerns due to its potential impact on waterways and local ecosystems.

Folorunsho said the suspects, along with the trucks, the wooden boat, and the recovered mineral resources, were handed over to Operation DOO‑AKPO, a security outfit established by the Bayelsa State government.

He said the suspects would undergo further investigation to determine the extent of their involvement in the illegal mining activities.

Navy vows sustained crackdown on oil theft

Folorunsho said the successes recorded during the operations aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, for naval formations to intensify operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and other forms of economic sabotage across the country’s maritime environment.

He reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the momentum of Operation Delta Sentinel through intelligence-driven operations and collaboration with other security agencies.

According to him, the Navy will continue to strengthen surveillance and enforcement activities aimed at protecting Nigeria’s maritime resources.

The service also called on communities in the Niger Delta to support security agencies by providing useful information that could help combat illegal activities within the region.

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Oil theft and illegal refining have long undermined Nigeria’s petroleum sector, with authorities estimating that thousands of barrels of crude are lost daily to illicit operations.

Security agencies say sustained enforcement operations are essential to safeguarding the country’s oil infrastructure and protecting national revenue.