Nigerian Navy Seizes Vessel, 650 Metric Tonnes of Suspected Stolen Crude in Anti-Theft Crackdown

The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft with the arrest of a vessel allegedly involved in the illegal siphoning of crude oil in Akwa Ibom State, as Nigeria’s crude oil production rises above its OPEC production quota.

The vessel, MT FILIA, was intercepted during Operation DELTA SENTINEL at the UTUE Terminal, where it was allegedly caught siphoning crude oil from an oil well terminal jacket.

The Navy said preliminary investigations uncovered about 650 metric tonnes of crude oil and 32.82 metric tonnes of fuel oil aboard the vessel without valid documentation or lawful authorisation.

According to the service, the vessel, its 12 crew members, and the recovered petroleum products have been taken into custody pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, said the Navy remains resolute in its efforts to eliminate crude oil theft, illegal refining and other maritime crimes threatening Nigeria’s economic interests.

The Navy noted that Operation DELTA SENTINEL recovered more than 4.7 million litres of petroleum products between April and June 2026, underscoring the impact of sustained maritime security operations.

It added that the intensified campaign against oil theft has contributed to Nigeria’s improved crude oil output, which climbed to 1.89 million barrels per day in July, exceeding the country’s production quota allocated by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).