NAVY, ARMY INTERCEPTS 8,500 LITRES OF ILLEGAL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR
The Nigerian Navy, along with the Nigerian Army, stopped two vehicles carrying around 8,500 liters of items that are thought to be illegally made fuel products along the Ejemekuru-Obudi-Agwa route in Imo State.
The operation, conducted on August 21, 2026, by personnel of Naval Base Oguta and the Nigerian Army, also led to the arrest of three suspects.
Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement.
According to him, the personnel intercepted a tipper truck and a Toyota Hiace bus carrying about 150 bags of suspected illegally refined petroleum products.
“Three suspects were arrested during the operation, while some occupants of the second vehicle fled, abandoning the vehicle,” he said.
Folorunsho said the arrested suspects, vehicles and recovered products were subsequently taken into custody for further investigation and necessary action in accordance with established procedures.
He said the interception underscored the effectiveness of sustained inter-service cooperation and intelligence-led security operations in disrupting the illegal movement of petroleum products and denying criminal elements the opportunity to exploit established routes for economic crimes.
The Nigerian Navy, he added, remained committed to deepening collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining and the illicit movement of petroleum products while protecting Nigeria’s critical economic interests.
