The Nigerian Navy has commended the Federal High Court, Uyo, for convicting and sentencing nine people for crude oil theft.
It also called for accelerated adjudication of all pending oil theft cases nationwide to strengthen deterrence against economic sabotage.
Director of Naval Information (DINFO), Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, praised the judgment in a statement on Wednesday, saying successful naval interdictions at sea only achieve their full strategic value when matched with timely convictions that reinforce the rule of law.
He commended the judiciary for the judgment and appreciated the Department of State Services (DSS) for its professionalism in prosecuting the case to a successful conclusion.
The nine convicts were sentenced on Monday to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second, both without an option of a fine. They were arrested on February 7 during an intelligence-led Navy operation while allegedly siphoning crude from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Folorunsho said the conviction reinforced the impact of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, the Navy’s anti-crude oil theft operation launched in January, which has dismantled over 241 illegal refining sites, recovered more than 6.44 million litres of stolen crude and refined products, and led to the arrest of over 230 suspects across the Niger Delta.
He warned individuals, groups and criminal syndicates engaged in oil theft to desist, stressing that the remoteness of oil-producing communities, waterways or installations would no longer shield perpetrators from justice.
He urged host communities to continue providing credible information on criminal activities threatening oil and gas infrastructure.
The Navy credited the renewed operational momentum to the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, whose emphasis on intelligence-led operations, inter-agency collaboration and maritime domain awareness has strengthened the service’s capacity to combat maritime crime.
It linked the effort to President Bola Tinubu’s policy target of raising Nigeria’s crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2027.
Folorunsho said the Navy would sustain operational pressure on economic saboteurs while deepening collaboration with the judiciary, sister security agencies and other stakeholders in support of national efforts to grow oil production and the blue economy.