Troops uncover 3,120 litres of stolen crude, refining equipment in Rivers forest

Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have uncovered 3,120 litres of stolen crude oil and equipment suspected to have been used for illegal refining in Okarki Forest, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the discovery was made on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, during an anti-illegal bunkering operation carried out by the troops between 10:15am and 6pm

Makama said that troops found the equipment concealed inside the forest during the operation.

“The troops discovered eight drum ovens, two coolants, three drum reservoirs, four iron buckets and four metal pipes estimated to be about 200 metres long,” he said.

The troops also recovered 78 sacks containing stolen crude oil estimated at 3,120 litres.

The recovered items included materials suspected to have been used for illegal oil processing in the forest.

The materials and crude oil were subsequently handled in line with the operational procedures of Operation Delta Safe.