Nigerian Navy intercepts boat with 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Ondo 

The Nigerian Navy intercepted a picket boat carrying about 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil alongside the Idiogba-Mahin shoreline in Ilaje Native Authorities Space of Ondo State.

The operation was carried out by the Ahead Working Base (FOB) in Igbokoda.

Capt. Aliyu Usman, the FOB’s Commanding Officer, disclosed this throughout an evaluation go to to the positioning on Thursday, as reported by the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN).

He revealed that the operation adopted credible intelligence, prompting the deployment of the bottom’s Fast Response Workforce.

“The group intercepted a big picket boat laden with about 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil, alongside related equipment akin to discharge hoses and pumping machines,” Usman mentioned.

He famous that the perpetrators fled upon sighting the Naval group, abandoning the boat and its gear.

The Navy secured the recovered vessel and its contents, taking a pattern of the crude oil for laboratory evaluation.

Usman emphasised that the Navy adopted established protocols in dealing with the intercepted gadgets.

Moreover, the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Navy engaged with neighborhood residents, elevating consciousness concerning the environmental and safety dangers related to supporting unlawful bunkering actions.

What you need to know  

Oil theft stays a important problem for Nigeria, undermining income technology and financial stability.

• In 2022, the nation misplaced an estimated 437,000 barrels of crude oil every day to prison actions, equating to a staggering $23 million in every day income losses.
• The scenario continued into 2023, with Nigeria shedding 65.7 million barrels of crude oil in March alone. At a median value of $83 per barrel on the time, this amounted to a income shortfall of N2.3 trillion.
• Past its impression on authorities income, oil theft disrupts operations for Worldwide Oil Firms (IOCs) and different stakeholders within the oil and fuel sector.
• To deal with the difficulty, the Nigerian army intensified anti-theft operations by initiatives akin to Operation Delta Secure and Operation Dakartada Barawo.
• These efforts, carried out in collaboration with state and native governments, safety businesses, and IOCs, have begun to yield optimistic outcomes.

In August 2024, Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, reported that crude oil manufacturing had elevated to between 1.6 million and 1.7 million barrels per day on account of enhanced safety measures geared toward curbing theft.

He additional famous that the armed forces had efficiently sealed off routes used for the sale of illegally refined petroleum merchandise, marking a major step ahead within the struggle in opposition to oil theft.