Nigeria’s navy has conducted a significant enforcement action against oil theft in its territorial waters, arresting 76 vessels and recovering approximately 171,000 barrels of stolen crude oil in a single operation.
The operation unfolded earlier this month off the coast of the Niger Delta. Naval intelligence units identified a fleet of suspicious tankers and barges engaged in illicit “bunkering”—the siphoning of crude from pipelines—before transferring stolen oil to larger vessels bound for export.
During the sweep, Nigerian naval forces intercepted and seized 76 sea-going and inland vessels. Crews were taken into custody and handed over to federal authorities for further investigation. Patrol teams recovered nearly 171,000 barrels of crude, signaling one of the largest single anti-theft recoveries in recent memory, highlighting the scale of pipeline vandalism and organized theft in the region.
