From the sites, naval personnel recovered approximately 76,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil alongside 50,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, all concealed in seven dugout pits and reservoirs, a concealment method that has come to typify the increasingly evasive tactics of operators seeking to escape detection. All illegal refining sites and recovered products were handled in accordance with established anti-crude oil theft procedures.
Speaking on the operation, Director Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said it demonstrated the Navy’s determination to deny oil thieves any opportunity to regain operational footholds or rebuild illegal refining infrastructure within its area of responsibility. He noted that the Navy remains resolute in sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle illegal refining infrastructure, disrupt crude oil theft networks, protect critical national assets, and support Nigeria’s economic security, adding that operational pressure continues across all identified criminal enclaves in the state.
