The Nigerian Navy has hailed a Federal High Court that sentenced nine people to prison for crude-oil theft, calling the decision a milestone in a wider campaign to curb economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
A Federal High Court in Uyo on September 14 sentenced the defendants to five years on one count and 10 years on another, with no option for fines, the Navy said.
The men were arrested on February 7 during an intelligence-led operation at the ASABO-D wellhead in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
“The conviction is not merely a judicial outcome but a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when operational action is matched by effective prosecution,” the Navy said in a statement.
The court decision comes as the service steps up operations under “Operation DELTA SENTINEL,” launched in January 2026 to tackle crude-oil theft, illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes.
The Navy said the campaign has dismantled more than 241 illegal refining sites, recovered over 6.44 million liters of suspected stolen crude and refined products, and led to more than 230 arrests.
The Navy credited the operation’s progress to intelligence-led surveillance, precision interdictions and increased maritime presence.
It also singled out Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas for directing interagency cooperation and enhanced maritime-domain awareness that officials say has strengthened the service’s capacity to counter maritime crime.
The Navy described its efforts as aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s policy goal of lifting crude production to 2.5 million barrels a day by 2027, saying disruptions to theft and illegal refining are critical to protecting the country’s energy output.
While celebrating the convictions, the Navy urged faster adjudication of pending crude-oil theft cases and praised the Department of State Services for assisting prosecutions.
“The strategic value of interdictions is fully realized only when they culminate in timely convictions,” the statement said, adding that coordinated action across the criminal-justice chain is essential to deterrence.
The service also warned criminal syndicates to desist and appealed to local communities to provide information that could help disrupt illegal activity. Going forward, the Navy said it will maintain operational pressure and deepen collaboration with the judiciary, sister services and security agencies to protect oil-and-gas infrastructure and support lawful maritime economic activity.
