By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta with the dismantling of a reactivated illegal refining cluster located within the Rivers–Bayelsa border corridor.
According to an official signed statement by Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under Operation DELTA SENTINEL following intelligence reports on renewed illegal refining activities around Egboama/Ogbogolo Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The statement disclosed that the operation involved a coordinated land and water insertion supported by aerial surveillance to identify concealed refining infrastructure within the creek environment.
It explained that drone reconnaissance over the area exposed multiple illegal refining locations hidden within the terrain, leading to the discovery of refining ovens, a dugout pit, storage facilities, and other equipment linked to the processing and movement of illegally refined petroleum products.
During the operation, naval personnel recovered about 5,500 litres of products suspected to be crude oil and 3,000 litres of substances suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Additional items recovered from the sites included generators, welding equipment, and materials believed to have been used in the expansion and reactivation of the illegal refining camps.
The Nigerian Navy stated that the operation revealed deliberate attempts by criminal networks to rebuild refining infrastructure previously dismantled during earlier anti-crude oil theft operations within the area.
All identified sites and equipment were subsequently deactivated in line with operational procedures, while surveillance and follow-on monitoring of adjoining creek corridors remain ongoing.
The Navy further noted that ongoing operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL are increasingly focused on preventing the resurgence of illegal refining camps and dismantling the support structures enabling crude oil theft syndicates to resume activities after previous disruptions.
The Service reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at protecting critical national assets, safeguarding the maritime environment, and denying economic saboteurs operational freedom across the Niger Delta.
