The Nigerian Navy has intercepted about 15,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers State, as part of ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel.
The seizure was made by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, who acted on credible intelligence and deployed an anti-crude oil theft patrol team to the Abua-Odual and Ogbologo general areas within the ship’s area of operations.
According to a press statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the patrol team intercepted two wooden boats laden with the suspected illegally refined petroleum products.
Folorunsho said the suspected perpetrators fled into the surrounding creeks after sighting the naval team, abandoning the boats in a bid to evade arrest.
He added that the intercepted boats and the petroleum products were subsequently recovered and handled in line with established operational procedures.
The Navy described the operation as another significant step in its ongoing crackdown on illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“The successful operation underscores the Nigerian Navy’s unwavering commitment to disrupting illegal oil bunkering activities,” the statement said.
It added that the action was in line with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, who has ordered intensified intelligence-driven operations aimed at flushing out economic saboteurs and criminal elements from Nigeria’s maritime environment.
The Navy reaffirmed its resolve to sustain the current operational momentum under Operation Delta Sentinel, stressing that it remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s oil infrastructure and protecting its economic interests.
