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 major illegal fuel network in Ndoni area of Rivers State.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER under the ongoing Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
The statement disclosed that the naval operation targeted reactivated illegal refining camps believed to have resumed activities after previous enforcement actions within the area.
During the operation, naval personnel uncovered an extensive network of dugout pits and storage facilities containing large volumes of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Preliminary assessment revealed that about 184,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products were stored across the illegal refining cluster.
The Navy further stated that findings from the operation exposed the continued exploitation of abandoned oil infrastructure by criminal elements to sustain illegal refining and distribution networks within the Niger Delta region.
According to the statement, the latest discovery highlights the evolving tactics adopted by oil theft syndicates, particularly the reactivation of dismantled refining sites and the use of interconnected supply, storage and distribution channels designed to evade security operations.
The Nigerian Navy noted that current operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL are focused on systematically dismantling the operational structures supporting crude oil theft and denying criminal networks the environment required to sustain economic sabotage.
The illegal refining camps and recovered products were subsequently destroyed in line with operational procedures, while surveillance and follow-on operations in the general area remain ongoing.
The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and sustaining coordinated operations aimed at protecting Nigeria’s maritime and littoral environment from economic saboteurs.
