Dare Babalola
The Nigerian Navy has stepped up its campaign against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, dismantling an illegal refining site in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State and recovering more than 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude.
The operation, carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel, was executed by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, within the Eastern Naval Command.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the Acting Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, said the raid followed credible intelligence on illicit refining activities in Allison Community.
According to him, an anti-crude oil theft patrol team was deployed to the area, leading to the discovery of an active illegal refining site equipped with dugout pits and locally fabricated processing systems.
“Further assessment revealed over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored at the facility. The illegal refining infrastructure was dismantled in line with established operational procedures, while the perpetrators fled on sighting the naval team,” Folorunsho said.
The Navy noted that the latest operation highlights its sustained push to combat economic sabotage and protect Nigeria’s oil assets, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
Folorunsho added that the intensified operations are in line with directives from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, who has ordered increased intelligence-driven missions to secure critical infrastructure.
He further stated that the crackdown supports the Federal Government’s broader objective of boosting oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day.
