By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta with the discovery and dismantling of multiple crude oil staging sites hidden within creek networks in Delta State.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operations were carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship DELTA under Operation DELTA SENTINEL as part of ongoing intelligence-led efforts to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of economic sabotage in the region.
The statement disclosed that the operations followed credible intelligence supported by maritime patrol assets and aerial surveillance, leading naval troops to conduct targeted raids across Madangho Creek and the Ogbe-Ijaw axis, both identified as suspected transit and staging locations for stolen crude oil.
During the operations, naval personnel uncovered a network of facilities and materials linked to crude oil theft activities, including three reservoirs, a hose line, sixteen sacks, and several cellophane bags believed to have been used for the storage and transportation of stolen petroleum products.
The Navy further revealed that approximately 6,500 litres of substances suspected to be crude oil were recovered from the locations.
According to the statement, the discoveries exposed a coordinated logistics network designed to aggregate and transport stolen crude oil through remote creek channels while evading security surveillance.
The reservoirs, storage facilities, transportation materials, and recovered products were subsequently handled in line with established operational procedures, effectively denying criminal elements access to resources intended to sustain illegal activities.
The Nigerian Navy stated that the operations demonstrate its sustained determination to dismantle the logistics, storage, and transportation framework supporting crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.
It added that by targeting staging points and supply routes, Operation DELTA SENTINEL continues to weaken the operational capabilities of economic saboteurs and restrict their freedom of movement within the region.
The Service reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining sustained pressure on criminal networks through intelligence-driven operations, enhanced surveillance, and coordinated maritime security efforts aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure and protecting national economic assets.
