By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Navy has recorded significant operational gains in its sustained crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta, dismantling multiple illicit sites and disrupting oil theft networks across Rivers and Bayelsa States.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operations were executed by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder and NNS Soroh on 1 May 2026, following credible intelligence on the activities of economic saboteurs in the region.
The statement disclosed that NNS Pathfinder deployed an Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team, comprising two gunboats and 20 personnel, to the Ahoada West axis of Rivers State, where five illegal refining sites were uncovered and dismantled around the Egboama-Ogbogolo community.
During the operation, the team identified about 15 dug-out pits, storage facilities, and reservoirs containing an estimated 85,000 litres of substance suspected to be crude oil, alongside 78,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil. Preliminary findings indicated that the products were being siphoned from a nearby wellhead located within close proximity to the refining sites, although the operator could not be immediately ascertained.
All illegal refining infrastructure and petroleum products were subsequently destroyed in line with established Anti-Crude Oil Theft protocols. Suspects reportedly fled the area upon sighting naval personnel, resulting in no arrests.
In a separate but related operation in Bayelsa State, personnel of NNS Soroh responded to intelligence on suspected oil theft activities along the Soku Gas Plant pipeline corridor at about 1900 hours. A thorough search of the area led to the recovery of equipment used for illegal pipeline connections, concealed within nearby bushes.
Items recovered include 10 jerrycans, a 300-metre 3-inch hose, a 200-metre 4-inch hose, and a 20-metre pipe, all believed to have been used for siphoning petroleum products. As in the Rivers operation, suspects fled before the arrival of troops, and no arrests were made.
The Nigerian Navy noted that the operations highlight its sustained resolve to deny criminal elements freedom of action within the maritime and littoral environment, while ongoing efforts are being intensified to track down fleeing suspects and dismantle wider networks linked to oil theft.
The service reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s critical national assets and maintaining a secure maritime domain for legitimate economic activities, while urging members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support ongoing operations.
