In a sweeping intelligence-led crackdown, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division have dismantled a notorious gunrunning syndicate fueling criminal networks across the Niger Delta, arresting 35 suspects and seizing dangerous weapons alongside thousands of litres of stolen petroleum products.
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the breakthrough in a statement on Friday, hailing it as a decisive blow against the illegal arms trade and oil theft menace strangling the region.
According to him, the sting operation led to the recovery of two English pistols, four locally fabricated pistols, and a double-barrel gun. Notorious traffickers — Innocent Emiyemokumo Deidei, alias Sele Bobo, Godknows Alabor Avor, and Godwin Osik — were arrested at different intervals following weeks of painstaking intelligence-gathering. They have since been handed over to relevant security agencies for prosecution.
Danjuma explained that the criminals had exploited the Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa corridor as a covert channel for moving Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs) to armed gangs, thereby fueling violence and insecurity in the Niger Delta.
Between August 25 and September 7, 2025, troops recorded sweeping successes:
6 illegal refining sites destroyed
35 criminals arrested
Over 14,000 litres of stolen crude and illegally refined products seized
In Rivers State, two major illegal refining hubs around Kilometre 45 in Degema Local Government Area were dismantled, with 7,500 litres of stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) recovered.
At Rumukpe in Emohua LGA, troops discovered vast dugout pits brimming with crude oil. A suspect was nabbed while attempting to package 1,800 litres of stolen crude in sacks.
In a separate raid, at Abacheke community along the Rivers–Imo boundary, soldiers intercepted 35 sacks containing 1,750 litres of illegally refined AGO. A motorcycle, an Infinix phone, and other items linked to oil theft were seized, with one suspect arrested.
The clampdown intensified further when, at Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, troops intercepted a white Mitsubishi Hilux truck ferrying 12 sacks of stolen AGO along the Kiri Omoku–Elele road. The driver abandoned the vehicle and bolted into a nearby bush on sighting the soldiers.
Lt. Col. Danjuma reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to relentlessly pursue criminal syndicates profiting from bloodied arms and stolen oil, stressing that the latest offensive sends a strong message to criminals still attempting to sabotage Nigeria’s economy and security.
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