The Nigerian Navy has arrested two vessels—MT Mkpodu and MT Westaf AF—loaded with over 939 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil valued at more than N4 billion.
A total of 26 crew members were also taken into custody during the operation.
Speaking to journalists in Calabar on Sunday, the Commander of Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe, Olugbenga Oladipo, said the interception highlights the Navy’s ongoing efforts to tackle crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the region.
According to him, the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence received in the early hours of April 8. The vessels were apprehended at a wellhead within the Calabar/Akwa Ibom Joint Operations Area, where they were allegedly engaged in illegal oil siphoning.
Oladipo disclosed that MT Mkpodu was caught in the act of siphoning crude oil when naval operatives moved in.
He added that the operation was conducted in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff, with support from both naval and air assets.
“The Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff provided all necessary assets for the operation,” he said.
Read Also ;
Airstrike Fallout: Military Defends Jilli Strike Amid Civilian Casualty Outrage
He explained that a naval helicopter was deployed to provide real-time aerial surveillance, while naval vessels, including Nigerian Navy Ship SHERE, secured the arrested ships offshore before transferring them to the Navy jetty in Calabar.
Oladipo also revealed that another vessel, MT Steliosk, was intercepted on April 10 in a similar operation, further demonstrating the military’s intensified crackdown on oil theft.
In his remarks, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Chidozie Okehie, commended the operation and reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustaining pressure on oil thieves and criminal networks operating in Nigerian waters.
The arrests come amid renewed efforts by security agencies to curb crude oil theft, a major challenge that continues to impact Nigeria’s economy.
