The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, thwarting attempts by economic saboteurs to revive illegal refining activities in Rivers State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, carried out a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around the Oseokishikpa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to the Navy, the operation was conducted based on credible intelligence and led to the discovery of two illegal refining sites comprising eight dugout pits and reservoirs.
During the raid, naval personnel recovered approximately 15,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 105,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), bringing the total volume of petroleum products seized to about 120,000 litres.
The Navy noted that the discovery was significant because it exposed ongoing efforts by criminal elements to reactivate illegal refining infrastructure that had previously been dismantled by security forces in the area.
“The operation not only disrupted illicit activities but also prevented the re-establishment of a refining network capable of sustaining crude oil theft and environmental degradation,” the statement said.
The illegal refining sites and the recovered products were subsequently handled in accordance with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying the perpetrators access to resources intended to support their criminal enterprise.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle crude oil theft networks, protect critical national infrastructure, and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests in the Niger Delta.
The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to combat oil theft, environmental pollution, and economic sabotage in the region.
