The Nigerian Navy has announced that its ongoing campaign, Operation Delta Sanity, has significantly reduced crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region, contributing to improved oil production and economic growth.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, disclosed this during the graduation ceremony of participants of Naval Warfare Course 9 at the Naval War College, Calabar, on Friday. He said the Navy would sustain its efforts to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain and charged officers to intensify their vigilance.
“We have 52 of our personnel who were trained in August 2024 and have been deployed to various oil platforms to curb crude oil theft. I believe this has contributed to the continuous rise in crude oil production reported in the past few months. Our Operation Delta Sanity has led to arrests of many criminals and also created a situation where those criminals find it difficult to conduct their operations,” Ogalla said.
He explained that the operation had restricted the freedom of movement of oil thieves, thereby reducing their capacity to operate. He commended the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police, and other security agencies, alongside stakeholders, for their collaboration in the mission.
According to him, the successes recorded had boosted national revenues, restored investor confidence, enhanced transparency in the oil industry, and strengthened national security.
Ogalla urged the new graduates to apply their training to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, stressing that “sooner or later, you will be confronted with challenges that will test the knowledge and skills you acquired in this college.”
Rear Admiral Akinola Olodude, Commandant of the Naval War College, highlighted the role of strategic partners such as the European Union office in Abuja, University of Calabar, Nigerian Army and Air Force War Colleges, Nigerian Defence Academy, and the Republic of Cameroon in facilitating the course curriculum and providing expert resource persons.
He also commended the governments of Delta, Andoni River states, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire for supporting the programme through study tours and operational visits.
Course Co-ordinator, Captain Suleiman Abdullahi, explained that the Naval Warfare Course 9, inaugurated in January with 30 participants from Nigeria and other African countries, involved eight months of rigorous training in leadership, maritime security, military strategy, and theatre operations.
The training, he noted, included collaborations with the British Navy, the British military advisory training team, and the European Union Office in Nigeria. Highlights featured an inter-agency seminar, international study visits to Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, and participation in Exercise Skylock 2025 in Abuja.
Abdullahi confirmed that all 30 participants successfully completed the programme and defended their research projects.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State, represented by Deputy Governor Dr Peter Odey, praised the Navy for restoring safety to the state’s waterways, which he said had previously been exploited by kidnappers.
“We are committed to strengthening our collaboration with the Navy and our security agencies in promoting safety, investment, and development across our coastal communities,” he said.
The governor assured the Navy of Cross River’s continued support in advancing national security and military education.
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