Illegal oil mining in Niger Delta Region
Rising crude oil theft and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta creeks have been attributed to alleged complicity of Nigerian Navy personnel and criminals bent on sabotaging the nation’s economy.
The Guardian learnt that some naval officers who know the locations of illegal refineries usually receive gratifications not to close down crude oil theft rings and maintain an overview of the illegal operations.
It was also learnt that military personnel’s involvement in oil theft had remained a major challenge, as naval officers either turn a blind eye or actively profit from the illegal oil trade.