The Nigerian Navy has recorded additional milestones in its sustained anti-crude oil theft operations under Operation Delta Sentinel, reinforcing earlier successes across the Niger Delta.
In a statement issued on April 15, 2026, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed that personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder executed intelligence-led operations in parts of Rivers State, uncovering large-scale illegal oil refining sites.
According to the statement, an Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team deployed to the Ndoni/Egbema axis discovered a major illegal refining hub in Umoku, Ndoni. The site featured multiple dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used in processing stolen crude oil.
Cumulatively, the Navy revealed that operations conducted between January and March 2026 led to the recovery of over 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, with an estimated value exceeding ₦600 million. These efforts also resulted in the dismantling of several illegal refining sites and logistics networks used by oil theft syndicates.
Further strengthening these inland gains, recent maritime interdictions have significantly boosted the Navy’s operational impact. The arrest of three vessels—Motor Tankers MKPODU, WESTAF, and STELIOS K—led to the seizure of over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil, equivalent to about 1.04 million litres and valued at more than ₦967 million.
The Navy noted that the combination of inland offensives and maritime enforcement highlights a coordinated, multi-domain strategy aimed at dismantling the entire crude oil theft value chain and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic assets.
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has consequently approved a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel to sustain the current momentum and further dismantle crude oil theft networks.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure, stressing that the coordinated inland and maritime operations reflect a deliberate multi-domain strategy to curb economic sabotage and safeguard national assets
