179 Oil Theft Incidents Uncovered in One Week – NNPC Ltd.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has reported uncovering 179 cases of crude oil theft within a single week, reflecting the ongoing efforts to combat vandalism and secure hydrocarbon infrastructure.
Between January 11 and 17, 2025, incidents across the Niger Delta region included 29 illegal pipeline connections and 55 illegal refineries, as revealed in a video shared by NNPC. The discoveries were made possible through the collaborative efforts of NNPC’s Command and Control Centre, Tantita Security Agency, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Liquefied Natural Gas, Oando PLC, and government security forces.
Security operations in Bayelsa and Abia States uncovered illegal pipeline connections, which were immediately repaired. In Rivers and Abia, security forces dismantled illegal refineries and destroyed hidden storage sites used for black-market petroleum activities. However, these acts of sabotage also caused several oil spills, including vandalized pipelines and damaged wellheads in Rivers State.
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The operations extended to roads and waterways, where vehicles and wooden boats loaded with stolen crude oil were intercepted and confiscated in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Abia States. The incidents were mapped across various corridors, with 90 incidents in the Central Corridor, 70 in the Eastern Corridor, five in the Western Corridor, and 14 in Deep Blue Water.
Additionally, 30 suspects were apprehended and handed over to security agencies for further investigation.
The NNPC reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating crude oil theft, which has long hindered Nigeria’s ability to meet its annual oil production targets. It also highlighted that 128 illegal refineries have been discovered in the first two weeks of the year alone, including 73 refineries and 53 illegal pipeline connections uncovered between January 4 and 10.
The crackdown on crude oil theft and vandalism continues to be a priority for the government and industry stakeholders, with no plans to relent until the issue is fully addressed.
