The Nigerian Navy has commended the Uyo Division of the Federal High Court for convicting and sentencing nine persons for crude oil theft in Akwa Ibom State, describing the judgment as an important development in the fight against economic sabotage.
Naval spokesperson, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the convictions demonstrated the importance of effective prosecution and judicial determination in complementing security operations against crude oil theft and other forms of economic crime.
In a statement issued on Friday, Folorunsho said the Navy had intensified operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage under its anti-crude oil theft operation, Delta Sentinel, which commenced in January.
According to him, the operation has led to the dismantling of more than 241 illegal refining sites and criminal networks across the Niger Delta.
He added that the operation had resulted in the recovery of more than 6.44 million litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, while more than 230 suspects had been arrested through intelligence-driven surveillance, precision interdictions and sustained maritime operations.
Folorunsho said the results reflected the Navy’s efforts to protect the country’s hydrocarbon resources, critical national infrastructure and energy security.
He also attributed the renewed operational momentum to the strategic leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, particularly his emphasis on intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration and enhanced maritime domain awareness.
The naval spokesperson said the efforts were in line with the policy direction of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to increase Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027 and support growth in the oil and gas sector.
He stressed that while arrests and seizures remained important, the successful prosecution and conviction of suspects were equally necessary to strengthen accountability and the rule of law.
“The Nigerian Navy commends the Judiciary for this landmark judgment and appreciates the Department of State Services for its professionalism in seeing the case through to a successful conclusion,” Folorunsho said.
He called for closer collaboration across the criminal justice system, from intelligence gathering and enforcement to prosecution and conviction, to achieve sustained progress in the fight against crude oil theft.
The Navy also advocated the accelerated adjudication of pending crude oil theft cases, saying this would strengthen accountability and support efforts to protect Nigeria’s maritime resources.
It warned individuals and organised criminal groups involved in crude oil theft and related activities to desist from such acts, noting that the latest convictions showed that suspects could not rely on the remoteness of oil-producing communities, waterways or oil installations to evade justice.
Folorunsho urged members of the public and affected communities to provide credible information on activities that threaten the country’s oil and gas infrastructure.
He assured Nigerians that the Navy would continue to maintain operational pressure against economic saboteurs while strengthening cooperation with the judiciary, other security agencies and relevant stakeholders.
