By Solomon Aborisade
In continuation of its ongoing anti-crude oil theft campaign, the Nigerian Navy has achieved significant operational successes in Delta State, recovering approximately eighty thousand litres of crude oil in two separate operations and, in a joint mission with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), arresting three suspected drug traffickers and seizing illicit substances.
A statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, confirmed that the first operation, conducted by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA on 21 September 2026 in the Oteghele general area, uncovered a large dugout reservoir containing about thirty thousand litres of crude oil.
In a separate operation on 23 September, another fifty thousand litres of crude oil were discovered in a dugout reservoir in the Obodo Amadino general area. The recovered crude oil was handled in accordance with established procedures.
In a related development, personnel of NNS DELTA and the NDLEA carried out a joint operation on 22 September against suspected illicit drug activities in Warri and its environs. The raid led to the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of approximately fifteen kilogrammes of Cannabis sativa, 0.5 gramme of cocaine, and 0.5 gramme of methamphetamine (crystal meth).
Navy Captain Folorunsho stated that the suspects and recovered substances were handed over to the NDLEA for further investigation and necessary action.
He noted that the combined operations demonstrate the Nigerian Navy’s capacity to address multiple dimensions of maritime and coastal insecurity, from crude oil theft and illegal petroleum activities to drug trafficking, while leveraging inter-agency cooperation to disrupt criminal activity within its area of responsibility.