Dare Babalola
The Nigerian Navy has dismantled illegal refining sites and recovered thousands of litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products in coordinated operations across parts of Rivers State, as part of intensified efforts to combat crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to the Navy, the operations were carried out under the ongoing Operation Delta Sentinel, a strategic initiative aimed at tackling economic sabotage and dismantling illegal oil refining networks operating in the region.
In one of the operations, personnel of the Forward Operating Base Bonny acted on credible intelligence indicating attempts by suspected oil thieves to establish illegal refining camps in the Promise Land area of Bonny Local Government Area.
A coordinated patrol team reportedly conducted reconnaissance across creeks and waterways, with aerial surveillance support leading to the discovery of hidden installations.
“The surveillance effort uncovered concealed refining equipment hidden under thick vegetation. Further ground assessment confirmed two newly constructed illegal refining sites located close to the river channel,” the statement said.
The Navy added that the sites contained improvised refining setups, interconnected pipelines, and other makeshift infrastructure designed for processing and transporting illegally refined petroleum products. Officials noted that the operators were still in the early stages of setting up the facilities before their operations were disrupted.
The sites were subsequently dismantled in line with standard operational procedures, while the area has been placed under continuous monitoring.
In a separate operation, personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh uncovered a concealed stockpile of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil along the Rivers–Bayelsa border corridor.
Acting on intelligence about suspicious movement of petroleum products near the Okarki waterside in Abua-Odual Local Government Area, naval operatives deployed aerial surveillance which revealed multiple sacks hidden within thick vegetation.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the recovery of about 3,800 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil stored in 38 sacks,” Folorunsho stated.
Although no arrests were made as suspects fled before troops arrived, the recovered products were secured in accordance with operational guidelines.
The Navy said the incidents highlight the growing use of remote creeks and concealed storage locations by oil theft syndicates seeking to evade detection.
Captain Folorunsho reaffirmed that ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel are focused on identifying emerging criminal hotspots, dismantling illegal refining infrastructure, and restricting the activities and mobility of oil theft networks.
He further reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to sustained intelligence-driven operations aimed at protecting national assets and safeguarding the maritime environment from economic sabotage.
