Nigerian Navy Arrests Vessel for Alleged Crude Oil Theft in Akwa Ibom

Nigeria's Navy has made another significant arrest in its ongoing crackdown on crude oil theft. On Thursday, July 23, the Navy intercepted a vessel called MT FILIA with 12 crew members for allegedly siphoning stolen crude oil from an oil well at Utue Terminal in Akwa Ibom State.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vessel was carrying an estimated 32.82 metric tonnes of fuel oil and 650 metric tonnes of crude oil without the requisite documentation or lawful authorization. The Navy took the vessel, its crew, and the recovered cargo into custody for further investigation and possible prosecution.

This operation is part of a larger effort to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other maritime crimes that undermine Nigeria's economic prosperity and national security. Under Operation Delta Sentinel, launched to combat crude oil theft and associated economic sabotage, the Navy has already recovered over 4.7 million litres of petroleum product between April and June 2026.