The Nigerian Navy has foiled an attempted sabotage of a crude oil wellhead in Bonny, Rivers State, arresting one suspect and recovering equipment allegedly intended for tampering with critical oil infrastructure.
The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, underscores the Navy’s ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft and protect Nigeria’s strategic oil and gas assets.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny intercepted a fibre boat during a routine security patrol near the Renaissance African Energy Company Limited (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station.
The Navy said the occupants abandoned the boat and fled upon sighting the patrol team.
A search of the abandoned vessel led to the recovery of a portable generator, a cutting and grinding machine, chisels, spanners, cutlasses, and other tools believed to have been assembled for wellhead tampering and pipeline vandalism.
The statement noted that follow-up operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies led to the arrest of one suspect linked to the attempted sabotage, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network.
The recovered fibre boat has been secured as investigations continue.
The Navy said the successful operation prevented what could have been a major attack on critical oil infrastructure, averting potential economic losses and environmental damage associated with crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
Reaffirming its commitment to securing the nation’s maritime domain, the Nigerian Navy said it would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to protect critical national assets, combat oil theft, and deny economic saboteurs freedom of action in Nigeria’s coastal waters.
