Wahala dey for oil thieves for Niger Delta area as Nigerian Navy don show say dem no dey play. For first three months of dis year, from January reach March, Navy boys don carry out over 183 operations under one operation dem dey call Operation DELTA SENTINEL. Wetin dem recover? E reach 531,500 litres of illegally refined petroleum products. Na big catch.
Operation DELTA SENTINEL wey start on 13 January 2026 na to protect our maritime area and fight crude oil theft for Niger Delta. E replace Operation DELTA SANITY II. Dis new one get better surveillance, intelligence coordination, and quarterly review. Dem plan am to last one year initially.
Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, wey be Director of Naval Information, yarn say February record di highest recovery. For dat month alone, dem seize 360,700 litres. January follow with 118,800 litres, and March get 52,000 litres. Di numbers show say pressure dey on di illegal oil business.
Some major operations wey dem carry out include seizure of 45,000 litres of stolen products for Rivers State between 20 and 23 January. On 13 February, dem intercept one 18-tonne barge. For Bayelsa State on 23 February, dem discover illegal wellhead wey get 96,000 litres. On 5 March, dem recover 34,000 litres of various petroleum products.
For March, operations intensify for Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa States. Dem target areas like Warri South-West, Oteghele Creek, Ogbe-Ijoh, Alakiri River, and Ogbia/Egbema/Ndoni axis. For Alakiri River on 14 March, dem recover about 45,000 litres of crude oil. For Ogbologo on 21 March, dem intercept 44,000 litres of AGO and arrest eight suspects.
Throughout di quarter, Navy systematically dey destroy illegal oil infrastructure. Dem don destroy at least 12 illegal refinery sites, four storage facilities, three vessels/boats, and two wellhead or pipeline connections. Di market value of recovered products dey decline gradually, meaning say di illegal activities dey lose economic viability.
Navy Capt. Folorunsho talk say di successes show di Navy sustained operational reach and effectiveness across di maritime domain. Di Service remain committed to safeguarding Nigeria maritime domain, protecting vital national assets, and increasing oil production to support national economic goals.
In line with di vision of di Chief of di Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, di Nigerian Navy go continue to conduct intelligence-led operations and strengthen inter-agency cooperation to further degrade oil theft networks for Nigerian Maritime Environment. Di operation don lead to di arrest of 18 suspects linked to crude oil theft and maritime related crimes.
Di Navy handover di suspects to appropriate authorities for prosecution. Di recovery and destruction of illegal facilities na part of efforts to secure di Niger Delta and boost legitimate oil production. Di government dey look for ways to improve security and economic activities for di region.
As di Navy dey pursue di oil thieves, di issue of security for Nigeria don cause international concern. Di United States Department of State recently order family members and non-essential employees to leave dia Embassy for Abuja due to rising security concerns. Dem urge Americans to reconsider travel to Nigeria from 8 April 2026.
Di US advisory cite rising crime, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, and limited healthcare services. Dem place Nigeria for “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” category, while 23 states dey for “Level 4: Do Not Travel” category. Newly added states include Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba.
For South, states like Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers State get warnings due to significant crime and instability. Di advisory specifically exclude Port Harcourt from di highest risk category. Di US government warn say violent crimes such as armed robbery, carjacking, and kidnapping for ransom dey common.
Dem caution say terrorist attacks fit occur without warning for crowded locations like markets, places of worship, hotels, and public gatherings. Concerns over Nigeria healthcare system also dey dia, as medical services dey inconsistent and frequently fall short of international norms.
Di Nigerian government don refute di US claims, urging Nigeria partners to ensure balanced and up-to-date reporting wey reflect di progress wey dey made to secure Nigeria. Di government talk say dem dey work to address security challenges and improve di situation.
Meanwhile, for Bayelsa State, President Bola Tinubu visit on Friday to commission major infrastructure projects. Di projects include Yenagoa-Gbaramatu Road, 630-metre Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, and 60-megawatt gas turbine Independent Power Project. Di visit expected to stimulate MSMEs, improve power supply, and enhance oil and gas productivity.
Di state government declare Friday public holiday, close markets, and implement security measures to ensure smooth movement for Yenagoa. Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, describe di visit as strong signal of di administration commitment to inclusive growth and national development.
As di Navy dey fight oil theft and di government dey pursue development, di need for diversification from oil and gas dey important. One son of di region, Azibola Robert, legal practitioner and Fellow of di Nigerian Society of Engineers, talk say Niger Delta get other mineral resources wey dem no dey harness.
Robert mention resources like industrial clay, silica glass sand, lignite, kaolin, gypsum, marble, iron ore, salt, periwinkle shells, bitumen, heavy metals, rare earth elements, lead and zinc, and uranium. For Bayelsa State alone, dem get industrial clay, silica sand, lignite, limestone, gypsum, manganese, uranium and traces of lead zinc.
Robert talk say di concentration on oil and gas don blind everyone to di existence of other mineral resources. He say if dem harness dis resources, e go boost development of di region and nation, bring about vibrant and robust economy. He challenge engineers and community leaders to put on dia thinking cap.
Engineer Eluanatein Mac Jokori, di 13th Chairman of NSE, Yenagoa, corroborate Robert ideas. He talk say engineers need to upgrade skills and knowledge, focus on research and development, innovation, training and retraining. He propose building engineering resource centre for Bayelsa State as hub for development, research and innovation.
Jokori talk say everything for di world revolves around engineering, and dem need to tap into untapped resources around dem. He mention areas like fibre boat making, palm oil production, domestication of Ogbono, and tea tree farming. He say if dem process dis resources in commercial quantity, e go bring chain of development.
As di Navy continue di fight against oil theft, di call for diversification and economic development dey strong. Di recovery of 531,500 litres of illegal products show say progress dey, but di journey still long. Di government, security agencies, and citizens need to work together to secure di region and unlock its full potential.
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