Nigerian troops arrest dozens in week-long oil theft crackdown

Nigerian troops arrested 43 suspected oil thieves and seized more than 254,000 litres of stolen fuel in a series of operations across the oil-rich Niger Delta, the army said on Monday.

The week-long operations between March 31 and April 6 targeted illegal refining sites and transport networks used by oil thieves, acting army spokesperson Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement.

Troops also destroyed 14 artisanal refineries and demobilised 14 boats during the operations.

Oil theft and illegal refining are rife in Nigeria's oil-rich delta as impoverished locals and more sophisticated criminal gangs pilfer pipelines to make fuel to sell for profit.

Seizures were made in Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta states. In a large, illegal bunkering site in the Sapele area of Delta, thousands of litres of stolen crude oil and refined products were recovered, along with vehicles and equipment, Danjuma said.

By Camillus Eboh, Reuters