A major operation by the Nigerian Navy has dealt another blow to crude oil theft in Imo State after operatives arrested two suspected members of a pipeline vandalism syndicate and recovered a truck carrying suspected stolen crude oil pipelines.
The operation, carried out by personnel of Naval Base Oguta, took place at about 6:25 a.m. on July 13, 2026, following credible intelligence on the movement of suspected vandalised pipeline materials along the Osu–Obodo Road in Oguta Local Government Area.
According to a statement issued by the Naval command, troops intercepted a Mercedes truck with registration number AGL 378 XV, loaded with about 10 sections of crude oil pipelines belonging to Addax Petroleum. The pipelines are believed to have been illegally removed from the company’s oil infrastructure.
The Navy said the truck driver, identified as Stanley Uzoma, abandoned the vehicle and fled after spotting security personnel. However, operatives arrested the truck’s escort, Alfred Kwosa, 57, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police from Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. Authorities said he sustained a gunshot wound while attempting to escape.
A follow-up operation led naval personnel to Nnebukwu community, where they arrested another suspect, Michael Nnamdi, popularly known as “Piloter,” 51, who is believed to be a member of the alleged pipeline vandalism syndicate.
The Nigerian Navy confirmed that both suspects, the recovered truck and the seized pipeline sections have been taken into custody at Naval Base Oguta for preliminary investigation. Security operatives are also intensifying efforts to apprehend the fleeing driver and identify other members of the suspected criminal network.
Speaking on the successful operation, the Commander of Naval Base Oguta, Commodore Sabo Tanko Lengaya, described the arrests as another milestone in the Navy’s ongoing campaign against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of economic sabotage targeting Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure.
Lengaya said the timely interception prevented the syndicate from advancing its illegal activities while providing valuable intelligence that could lead to further arrests. He stressed that intelligence-driven operations remain crucial in dismantling criminal networks involved in oil theft and protecting national assets.
The commander also called for sustained intelligence gathering, continuous surveillance of oil and gas facilities, aggressive patrols, random vehicle inspections along known evacuation routes, and stronger collaboration with host communities and other security agencies to keep pipeline vandals off the nation’s critical infrastructure.
