The Nigerian Navy has thwarted another attempt by crude oil theft syndicates to establish illegal storage infrastructure in the Bonny axis of Rivers State, as part of its ongoing Operation DELTA SENTINEL aimed at protecting the nation’s oil and gas assets.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny carried out a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around Dema Abbey Community in Bonny Local Government Area, where they uncovered seven concealed dugout pits strategically prepared for illicit crude oil activities.
The statement revealed that preliminary assessment showed 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. It noted that similar concealed pits discovered during previous operations had been used as temporary storage facilities for stolen crude oil before being transported to illegal refining sites.
Following the discovery, the Navy dismantled the newly excavated pits in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying criminal elements the infrastructure needed to establish another illegal crude oil storage hub within the Bonny operational area.
“The operation reflects the Nigerian Navy’s proactive operational strategy of disrupting crude oil theft at its preparatory stage by targeting the infrastructure that enables illicit activities before it becomes functional,” the statement said. “This preventive approach continues to weaken the logistics chain sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.”
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle criminal infrastructure, deny economic saboteurs freedom of action, and safeguard Nigeria’s critical oil and gas assets in support of national economic security.
