The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said on Tuesday that a total of 112 cases of crude oil theft were recorded in the Niger Delta in one week.
It said the oil theft incidents occurred between December 23, 2023, and December 29, 2023, adding that in the past week, 42 illegal refineries were discovered in several locations in the oil-rich region.
It outlined the locations to include Konsho and Tebidaba in Bayelsa State; Obokofia in Imo State; as well as Ogidigben, Mereje and Obodo Omadina in Delta State
The oil firm disclosed this in a documentary posted on its official X handle, adding that the “illegal refineries in Umuire, Abia State, and Upata in Rivers State were also discovered and destroyed.”
It further stated that 14 illegal connections were uncovered in several parts of the Niger Delta, as a tunnel covering an illegal connection was also uncovered in Owaza, Abia State, while 10 cases of vandalism were discovered.
In the two-minute and 44-second documentary, the company stated that “Illegal storage sites were discovered in Ebocha and Ton Kiri in Rivers State where oil pits were found.
“In Ogbia, Bayelsa State, sacks of crude oil were discovered. More illegal storage sites were uncovered in Urhonigbe, Edo State, and Ekuku-Agbor and Bomadi, Delta State.”
According to the firm, 22 wooden boats conveying stolen crude were discovered in Okrika and Tombia in Rivers State as well as Emereje, Delta State.
It stated that during an operation, 11 vehicle arrests were made in Delta State, as eight of these (oil theft) incidents took place in the deep water, 46 in the eastern region, 32 in the central region, and 26 took place in the western region.
“Between the 23rd and 26th of December, 2023, 18 suspects were arrested,” the national oil company stated, adding that it would not back down in the war against crude oil theft.
Nigeria loses billions of naira to oil theft and finds it tough to meet the production quota approved for the country by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries due to the menace of oil thieves.
