THERE is good news for crude oil security in Cross River as no fewer than 80 militants operating within the Calabar creeks and parts of Akpabuyo Local Government Area laid down their arms and surrendered to the Nigerian Army.
The exercise was carried out on Friday at the Atimbo Rear Area of Operation OKWOK in Akpabuyo LGA and was overseen by troops of the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army.
The militants, drawn from two separate camps, voluntarily submitted themselves for the amnesty programme. One group, led by Mr ThankGod Ebikontei, also known as Ayibanuagha, presented 39 miltants.
Another faction, under the leadership of Mr John Isaac, popularly called Akpokolo, handed over 41 fighters. Isaac’s group is commonly referred to as the Akpokolo Marine Forces or Border Boys.
Militants in Cross River Source: Daily Post
During the surrender, the militants turned in a range of weapons and logistics. Items recovered included three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action shotguns, a Mark 4 rifle, a G3 rifle, 12 single-barrel guns, 10 AK-47 magazines and one C4 explosive device.
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Also recovered were three speedboats, four outboard engines, 19 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 84 Dengun cartridges, along with various military kits, tools, locally made weapons and accessories.
Commenting on the development, the Commander of the 13 Brigade, Brigadier-General P. O. Alimikhena, described the surrender as a significant confidence-building step towards strengthening peace, security and stability in the brigade’s area of responsibility.
He noted that the action reflected the impact of sustained military operations, ongoing engagement efforts, and effective cooperation with the Cross River State Government and other security agencies.
Gen Alimikhena reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to maintaining a safe environment while supporting legitimate programmes aimed at rehabilitating repentant youths and ensuring long-term stability in the state.
After the exercise, the former militants were handed over to the Cross River State Government’s Rapid Response Team and are currently being profiled by the Department of State Services (DSS) at Muka Sam Hotel, Ikot Ansa, Calabar.
In a statement issued by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters 13 Brigade, Major Yemi Sokoya, the Nigerian Army praised the Cross River State Government for its dedication to peace and assured stakeholders of continued collaboration to sustain the gains achieved and prevent a return to criminal activities.
Crude oil theft in Niger Delta
This is a siginificant boost for crude oil security, which is undermining the nation’s efforts at raising revenue. In October 2025, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) revealed that the nation lost a total of 13.5 million barrels worth $3.3 billion to oil theft and pipeline sabotage between 2023 and 2024.
“These losses are not just economic—they represent broken trust, institutional weaknesses, and missed opportunities for national progress. This is precisely why transparency and accountability are not optional. They are existential,” said Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr Ogbonanya Orji, at the 2025 Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) conference in Lagos.
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Anther report by Fair Finance Nigeria said the nation lost about 619.7 million barrels of crude oil valued at $46.16 billion to theft between 2009 and 2020.
The report entitled, ‘Community Voices on Oil, Finance, and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA): A Case Study of Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States,’ revealed how weak regulation, systemic corruption, and alleged complicity of some security agencies and oil companies had enabled crude theft on an industrial scale.
The report said the development was depriving the country of vital revenue and worsening poverty in oil-producing communities.
According to the Transparency International, the Niger Delta is the most important oil-producing region in Africa, with its oil providing 70 percent of Nigeria’s government revenue.
“However, alongside the legitimate trade in the Delta’s oil products, there is a lucrative and organised illicit oil trade that reportedly loses Nigeria 200,000 barrels of oil every day. Participants in oil theft, also called ‘oil bunkering,’ steal oil from pipelines, refine the oil, and then sell it to local, regional and international markets. It is a profitable criminal industry that cost the Nigerian government 3.8 trillion Nigerian naira (approx. USD$105 billion) in 2016 and 2017,” the anti-corruption organisation said in its 2019 report.
