Emmanuel Onani 
Troops of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) have recovered stolen crude oil and other illegally refined petroleum products valued at over N3.5 billion in the second quarter of 2025, spanning April to June, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Thursday.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, made this known in Abuja during a briefing on ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations across military theatres in the country.
He attributed the string of successes recorded by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to renewed vigour and sustained operational intensity.
According to him, aside from Operation Delta Safe in the South-South region, the DHQ is also coordinating several other operations, including Operation Hadin Kai in the North East, Operation Fagge San Yamma in the North West, Operation Whirl Stroke in the North Central, Operation Safe Haven in Plateau and environs, and Operation Udo Ka in the South East.
Speaking on the achievements of OPDS, Kangye said, “Troops of Operation Delta Safe foiled oil theft worth over N3,500,435,234.00. The breakdown shows the recovery of 2,381,239 litres of stolen crude oil, 605,393 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), 41,465 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 26,905 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
“In addition, troops discovered and destroyed 174 illegal refining sites and seized 45 vehicles used in the illicit trade.”
He added that troops also recovered a cache of automatic weapons, including RPG tubes, machine guns, locally fabricated guns, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) already prepared for detonation, alongside assorted ammunition.
Providing updates on more recent operations, Kangye said OPDS troops recovered an additional 344,749 litres of stolen crude oil and 162,681 litres of illegally refined AGO within the past week.
“Troops also discovered and destroyed 52 crude oil cooking ovens, 21 dugout pits, 11 boats, 36 storage tanks, 36 drums, and 25 illegal refining sites. Equipment such as pumping machines, drilling machines, tricycles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and six vehicles were also recovered,” he said.
Furthermore, he confirmed that 12 suspected oil thieves and other criminals were arrested during the operations, with more arms, ammunition, and explosives recovered.
