The Nigerian Military has exposed a suspected unlawful refining web page containing roughly 114,500 litres of petroleum merchandise in Rivers State, whilst arresting 10 suspected drug offenders in a separate joint operation with the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) in Delta State.
The Director of Naval Data, Military Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the tendencies in a observation detailing the Military’s fresh operations in opposition to crude oil robbery, unlawful refining and illicit drug actions within the Niger Delta.
In step with the observation, the unlawful refining web page used to be came upon on Thursday, October 15, 2026, whilst the joint anti-drug operation used to be performed between October 14 and 15, 2026.
Military discovers 23 unlawful refining pits
Folorunsho defined that staff of the Nigerian Military Send (NNS) SOROH came upon the suspected unlawful refining web page within the Orashi Wooded area, Ogbogolo group, Ahoada West Native Executive Space of Rivers State, following credible intelligence.
The observation stated that credible data led naval staff to the site, the place a number of dugout pits containing suspected stolen crude oil and illegally delicate petroleum merchandise have been exposed.
- “The web page contained 5 huge dugout pits preserving roughly 105,000 litres of goods suspected to be illegally delicate Car Fuel Oil (AGO), repeatedly referred to as diesel, and 18 smaller pits containing about 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil,” the observation learn.
Folorunsho added that the suspected operators fled upon sighting the naval staff, whilst the recovered petroleum merchandise have been treated in line with established operational procedures.
In a separate operation, staff of NNS DELTA and the NDLEA performed coordinated raids on places suspected for use for the garage, sale and distribution of illicit medication in Uvwie, Eboh Street, Jakpa Street, Ozuaka group, Orogun, Otokutu and Ughelli in Delta State.
- “The operation resulted within the arrest of 10 suspects and the restoration of gear suspected to incorporate cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, hashish, hashish seeds, Colorado and different connected shows,” the observation added.
The Military showed that the suspects and recovered elements were passed over to the NDLEA Warri Space Command for additional investigation and essential prison motion.
Unlawful refining persists in spite of Military raids
All the way through 2026, the Nigerian Military has recorded a number of recoveries of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally delicate petroleum merchandise around the Niger Delta, as safety operations proceed to focus on unlawful refining networks within the area.
- Between January and March, the Military deactivated 22 unlawful refining websites and recovered greater than 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products beneath Operation Delta Sentinel.
- The operations lined main oil-producing states, together with Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, as a part of efforts to disrupt unlawful petroleum actions and give protection to crucial oil infrastructure.
- On the other hand, next discoveries point out that unlawful refining actions have persevered in spite of the intensified safety operations.
- In July, Nairametrics reported that the Military exposed 9 unlawful refining websites comprising 23 dugout pits in Bonny Native Executive Space of Rivers State, with 18 of the pits containing approximately 104,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
- The invention additionally incorporated 5 newly excavated pits believed to were ready for unlawful refining actions.
The next month, the Military dismantled 3 suspected unlawful refining websites within the Okolomade and Ogbogolo spaces of Rivers State, recuperating approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
The August operation adopted intelligence indicating that unlawful refining actions had resumed in in the past affected places, highlighting the problem of stopping operators from rebuilding dismantled amenities.
FG introduces new oil safety framework
Past the Military’s operations, the Federal Executive has offered further security features geared toward fighting crude oil robbery, pipeline vandalism and unlawful refining actions that proceed to threaten Nigeria’s oil and gasoline sector.
- On October 12, 2026, the Nationwide Safety Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, unveiled a new security framework designed to support the security of oil infrastructure and enhance coordination amongst organisations answerable for fighting petroleum-related crimes.
Referred to as the Usual Running Process (SOP) for the Nigerian Oil and Fuel Trade-Vast Safety Structure, the framework seeks to determine uniform safety procedures, explain operational obligations and support collaboration amongst safety companies, personal surveillance contractors and oil corporations.
- The framework builds on present safety interventions, together with Operation Delta Sentinel, which the Nigerian Military introduced in January 2026 as an intensified marketing campaign in opposition to crude oil robbery, unlawful refining and pipeline vandalism around the Niger Delta.
In the meantime, Nigeria has maintained compliance with its crude oil manufacturing quota set by means of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting International locations (OPEC) for 5 consecutive months, in spite of the continuing discovery of unlawful refining amenities.
In step with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Fee (NUPRC), the rustic’s crude oil manufacturing higher to 1.53 million barrels per day in September 2026, in comparison with 1.50 million barrels in keeping with day in August.