Troops of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army have dismantled an illegal petroleum bunkering operation and arrested 14 suspects in the Lekki Free Zone area of Lagos state.
This was contained in a statement released Friday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Musa Yahaya.
The statement indicated that the operation, carried out in the early hours of April 16, 2026, followed credible intelligence on on-going oil theft activities near the Dangote Refinery axis.
“Acting swiftly, the troops stormed the location around 1:30 a.m. and caught the suspects in the act of siphoning petroleum products.
“Investigations at the scene revealed that the suspects had constructed an illegal connection using a long pipeline stretching from the high sea to a concealed tanker in a bush. A generator-powered pumping machine was used to transfer the stolen products into the vehicle”
“Upon sighting the troops, the suspects attempted to escape but were quickly subdued and arrested” the statement partly read.
It added that items recovered during the operation included “a tanker truck loaded with siphoned petroleum products; a Lexus Highlander SUV (APP 67 JQ Lagos); a Ford Hilux vehicle (BY 117 FST Lagos); a pumping machine; a 40HP boat engine, and a large quantity of industrial hoses and other bunkering equipment.”
According to the statement, the suspects and recovered exhibits were currently in military custody pending preliminary investigations and subsequent hand-over to relevant prosecuting agencies in line with existing laws.
“The Nigerian Army reaffirms its commitment to tackling crude oil theft and safeguarding critical national infrastructure. It also urges members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies,” the statement read further.