Troops Bust Illegal Refinery, Recover Suspected Stolen Crude in Rivers

|By Tamunonemi A. Belema And Adejumo Adekule

Troops of the 29 Battalion under the Joint Task Force South-South, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), have uncovered an illegal refining site and recovered about 600 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Oyigbo Local Government Area.

The operation was disclosed in a post shared by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, on Thursday via his X account.

Security sources said the discovery was made around 10:00 a.m. on May 12, 2026, during intensified anti-illegal bunkering operations across the Niger Delta.

According to the sources, troops uncovered the illegal refining camp near Asa community, where a large cooking pot filled with suspected stolen crude oil was found concealed inside sacks.

Military authorities said the recovered products and equipment were handled in accordance with operational procedures guiding anti-crude oil theft operations under Operation Delta Safe.

The operation was carried out without any confrontation or security breach.

The Nigerian military has continued to ramp up operations targeting crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage across the Niger Delta region.