The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and economic sabotage with the discovery and dismantling of an illegal fuel distribution hub in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering about 13,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The operation, carried out on 28 July 2026 by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, led to the discovery of an illegal petroleum products storage and distribution facility equipped with large-capacity storage tanks, reservoirs, drums, hoses and other equipment used for the unlawful handling and distribution of petroleum products.
According to the Nigerian Navy, the recovered products and associated facilities were handled in line with established operational procedures, while investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those behind the illegal operation.
The Navy noted that the illegal facility is believed to have supported criminal activities linked to the illicit petroleum products trade, posing a threat to Nigeria’s economy and the integrity of the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure.
The successful operation is the latest in a series of sustained efforts by the Nigerian Navy to dismantle criminal networks involved in crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage across the Niger Delta.
Reaffirming its commitment to securing Nigeria’s maritime environment, the Nigerian Navy said it will continue to sustain Operation DELTA SENTINEL and other lawful operations aimed at protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure, supporting increased crude oil production, and denying economic saboteurs the freedom to operate within the nation’s maritime domain.
