The Nigerian Navy has recorded another operational success under Operation Delta Sentinel, dismantling an emerging illegal crude oil storage infrastructure in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In a press statement dated 12 July 2026, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny carried out a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around Dema Abbey Community, where they uncovered seven concealed dugout pits believed to have been prepared for crude oil theft activities.
According to the statement, four of the pits had been freshly excavated, while the remaining three contained water, indicating they were being readied to support crude oil theft operations.
The Navy explained that similar concealed pits discovered during previous operations had been used as temporary storage facilities for stolen crude oil before it was transported to illegal refining sites.
The newly excavated pits were subsequently dismantled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, preventing criminal syndicates from establishing another illegal crude oil storage hub within the Bonny operational area.
The Nigerian Navy said the operation underscores its proactive strategy of disrupting crude oil theft at the preparatory stage by targeting the infrastructure that enables the illicit trade before it becomes operational.
It added that the preventive approach continues to weaken the logistics network sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s economic interests, the Navy said it would continue to sustain intelligence-driven operations under Operation Delta Sentinel to dismantle criminal infrastructure, deny economic saboteurs freedom of action, and safeguard the nation’s critical oil and gas assets in support of national economic security.
