The Defence Headquarters announced on Thursday that in the past two weeks, Nigerian troops intercepted stolen crude oil worth N1.2 billion, while the country’s oil production capacity increased in September.
Major General Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, provided this information during a press briefing in Abuja. He also stated that the military is committed to preventing terrorists from carrying out small-scale attacks on vulnerable targets.
During their operations, the troops reportedly killed 73 terrorists, apprehended 182 individuals, and rescued 68 hostages in one week.
Buba stated, “The ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations have thwarted the strategic goals of these malicious groups. The military will continue to diminish their capacity to carry out minor attacks designed to spread fear in local communities.”
The director mentioned that the troops located and dismantled 63 illegal refining sites, which contained 15 dugout pits, 45 boats, 87 storage tanks, 128 cooking ovens, one pumping machine, and four outboard engines. Additionally, they arrested 14 suspected oil thieves.
Buba also noted that the troops recovered 962,500 liters of stolen crude oil, 35,420 liters of illegally refined AGO (Automotive Gas Oil), 38,450 liters of DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene), and 45,000 liters of PMS (Premium Motor Spirit) with an estimated value of N1,212,046,140.
It’s worth recalling that oil theft has posed a significant challenge, leading to a decrease in Nigeria’s oil production capacity. However, the increased efforts against oil theft have contributed to an upturn in Nigeria’s production capacity in September, rising from 1.1 million barrels per day in August to 1.7 million barrels per day.