The Nigerian Navy has thwarted attempts by economic saboteurs to re-establish illegal refining operations in Rivers State, sustaining its ongoing offensive against crude oil theft and related criminal activities in the Niger Delta.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, carried out a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around the Oseokishikpa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State following credible intelligence.
The operation led to the discovery of two illegal refining sites comprising eight dugout pits and reservoirs containing approximately 15,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 105,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Navy Captain Folorunsho stated that the discovery underscores persistent efforts by criminal elements to reactivate illegal refining infrastructure previously dismantled by security agencies within the area.
He noted that the operation not only disrupted ongoing illicit activities but also prevented the re-establishment of a refining network capable of sustaining crude oil theft and causing further environmental degradation in the region.
The statement added that the illegal refining sites and recovered products were handled in accordance with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying the perpetrators access to resources intended to support their criminal enterprise.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle crude oil theft networks, protect critical national infrastructure, and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests across the Niger Delta.
