…Dismantles illegal refinery in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy has recovered over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and dismantled an illegal refining site in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, intensifying its crackdown on oil theft in the Niger Delta.
The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, was disclosed on March 26 by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, in an official statement.
According to the Navy, the mission led to the discovery and deactivation of an active illegal refining site located in Allison Community, Bonny LGA, alongside the recovery of large quantities of crude oil believed to have been illegally sourced.
“The Nigerian Navy has recorded another operational success under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, with the discovery and deactivation of an active illegal refining site at Allison Community in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State and the recovery of over 20,000 litres of stolen crude oil,” the statement said.
The latest breakthrough comes just four days after naval operatives intercepted about 44,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products and arrested eight suspects in a separate operation within Rivers State, signalling a renewed offensive against crude oil theft.
The Navy explained that the success of the recent operation followed credible intelligence, which prompted the deployment of an anti-crude oil theft patrol team from the Forward Operating Base Bonny under the Eastern Naval Command.
Acting on the intelligence, the patrol team identified a fully operational illegal refining site equipped with dugout pits, locally fabricated cooking and cooling systems, as well as sacks filled with substances suspected to be stolen crude oil.
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Further inspection revealed that over 20,000 litres of crude oil were stored at the site. However, the suspects reportedly fled upon sighting the naval personnel.
The Navy noted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft and safeguard Nigeria’s economic assets, particularly within the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
It added that the intensified operations align with directives from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, who has tasked commanders to strengthen surveillance, utilise intelligence, and protect critical oil infrastructure in support of the Federal Government’s target of achieving 2.5 million barrels per day oil production.
The disclosure also follows another recent enforcement action in the Degema, Ogbogoro, and Ogbologo axis of Rivers State, where naval personnel intercepted significant volumes of illegally refined petroleum products, highlighting sustained pressure on oil theft networks across multiple hotspots.
