Following credible intelligence, Officers and men of the Nigerian Navy on April 8, 2026, in a swift commando style, arrested two vessels, MT Mkpodu and MT Westaf AF, with over 939 metric tons of suspected stolen crude oil estimated at over N4 billion.
The feat by the Nigerian Navy comes despite the multi billion -naira contract to Tantita and Maton on pipeline surveillance in the Niger Delta.
The Naval troops during their operations also arrested 26 crew members of the arrested two vessels.
The commander of the Joint Task Force South-South Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Olugbenga Oladipo, who announced this while briefing journalists on the development in Calabar on Sunday, said the arrest underscored the Nigerian Navy’s continued commitment to combating crude oil theft and other economic sabotage.
Admiral Oladipo said the arrest of the vessels was made possible through credible intelligence at midnight on April 8, 2026, adding that the vessels were apprehended at a wellhead located within the Calabar/Akwa Ibom Joint Operation Area, where they were actively involved in crude oil theft.
Oladipo further said that MT Mkpodu was arrested in the process of siphoning crude oil, saying that the arrest was made possible through the cooperation of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and that of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
He also said; “The Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff provided us with all the necessary assets we used in carrying out this operation.
“Following the arrest, Nigerian Navy Ship SHERE and Nigerian Navy 410 Helicopter were deployed to the scene. The helicopter provided real time aerial imagery of the vessels while the Nigerian Navy Ship SHERE took custody of the 2 vessels at the offshore location,” Oladipo said.
The commander explained that the Nigerian Navy Ship OSE and elements of Forward Operating Base IBAKA facilitated the transfer of the arrested vessels and crew members to the Navy jetty in Calabar, adding that similar arrest of another vessel, MT Steliosk, was made on April 10, 2026.
Oladipo also said the arrests demonstrated the shared commitment and proactiveness of the Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Navy towards curbing crude oil theft in Nigerian waters through inter-service and inter-agency collaboration.
Also speaking, the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Rear Admiral Chidozie Okehie, appreciated Admiral Oladipo for his support and assured the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas of their commitment to more arrests of criminals in the area.
