The Nigerian Navy has intercepted an oil tanker allegedly conveying stolen crude oil valued at over N660m and arrested 12 crew members in a renewed crackdown on crude oil theft in the country’s maritime domain.
The vessel, MT FILIA (IMO No. 8662684), which sails under the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe, was arrested on July 23, 2026, within the offshore oil terminal in Akwa Ibom State by personnel of the Eastern Naval Command under the ongoing Operation Delta Sentinel.
Briefing journalists in Calabar on Tuesday, the Command Operations Officer, Commodore AA Umar, said the arrest followed credible intelligence generated through the Navy’s surveillance assets.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the tanker had remained within the vicinity of the offshore terminal for more than seven days, allegedly waiting for an opportunity to illegally access crude oil facilities.
He said, “At about 4:00 a.m. on July 23, a Nigerian Navy patrol boat intercepted the tanker after it departed the terminal and headed seaward.
“On sighting the Nigerian Navy ship, the crew began discharging the stolen crude oil into the sea, thereby causing maritime pollution.”
The naval officer added that investigations and the captain’s confession indicated that the vessel had loaded about 650 metric tonnes of crude oil, estimated to be worth more than N660m, adding that investigations were still ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and identify other individuals connected to the operation.
