The Nigerian Army has launched the latest phase of Operation Crocodile Smile in the creeks and waterways of Bayelsa State, deploying gunboats, military helicopters, and special forces with a mandate to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal bunkering operations that have cost Nigeria billions in lost revenue.
The operation, which involves the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS), is the fourth iteration of the Crocodile Smile exercise series, which has been deployed in the Niger Delta at intervals since 2016.
Army spokesperson Brigadier General Onyeoma Nwachukwu said the operation would last 90 days and would target known illegal refinery sites, floating platforms used for crude theft, and supply chains that transport stolen oil to buyers both within Nigeria and internationally.
Community leaders have given the operation a cautious welcome, but have also raised concerns about past operations that resulted in the destruction of boats belonging to legitimate fishermen and artisanal traders who were caught in military interdiction operations without adequate due process.
Amnesty International Nigeria has written to the Chief of Army Staff requesting that clear rules of engagement be made public before the operation commences, citing previous military operations in the Niger Delta that resulted in civilian deaths and property destruction without accountability.
Oil industry analysts say that while military operations can disrupt theft networks temporarily, they are not a sustainable solution without complementary economic development in communities where young people currently have no viable alternative to criminal livelihoods.