Nigeria's navy disrupts illegal oil refineries as petrol imports surge 207%, straining naira

The Nigerian Navy intensified its Operation Delta Sentinel in July, dismantling two re‑activated illegal refining sites in Rivers State and recovering more than 126,000 litres of stolen petroleum products. Navy officials reported the seizure of over 4.7 million litres of illicit crude and the arrest of dozens of suspects linked to oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illicit refining across the Niger Delta.

In a related security effort, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion raided an illegal oil‑bunkering site in Lagos, arresting six suspects and confiscating drums of refined fuel and a tanker used for the operation.

During the same month, Nigeria’s petroleum imports exploded by 207 percent, rising from 182.9 million litres in May to 543 million litres in June, according to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority. The surge pushed daily imports to 18.1 million litres and heightened demand for foreign exchange, putting additional pressure on the naira. Domestic output from the Dangote refinery fell, while overall market supply remained stable due to the import increase. Regulators and marketers argue the imports are needed for energy security despite criticism that they undermine local refining efforts.