The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a warehouse containing approximately 10,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) during an anti-crude oil theft operation in the Eleme Express area of Rivers State.
The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said in a statement on Sunday that the discovery was made by NNS PATHFINDER on September 12, 2026, during a patrol of the Eleme–Okrika–Onne general area.
According to him, the suspected illegally refined AGO was contained in 400 jerrycans of 25 litres each and was believed to have been stored for onward sale. He clarified that no illegal refining site was found at the location.
The Navy said the operation disrupted a suspected storage and distribution link within the illicit petroleum supply chain, denying criminal operators a facility for accumulating and moving illegally refined products to the market.
The recovered products were subsequently handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures. No arrest was made, as the suspected operators reportedly fled upon sighting the naval patrol team.
