…Destroys Illegal Refinery in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy has confiscated 17,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and dismantled an illegal refining site in the Niger Delta as part of intensified efforts to curb oil theft and illegal bunkering in the region.
The operation was carried out by naval personnel under Operation Delta Sentinel within the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny Area of Operations in Rivers State.
The development was disclosed on Friday in a statement by the Navy’s Director of Information, Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to the statement, the operation followed directives from the Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, ordering increased pressure on criminal networks involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.
Folorunsho said naval operatives carried out the raid after weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering on suspected oil thieves operating in the creeks around the Opotumbi general area of Bonny.
He explained that the naval team eventually uncovered concealed dug-out pits hidden beneath thick vegetation in the creeks, where the stolen crude oil was stored.
According to him, the illegal facilities were detected during patrols in the area using the Navy’s maritime surveillance technology.
The spokesman added that the recovered products were destroyed in line with operational guidelines.
Folorunsho noted that the seizure demonstrated the Navy’s renewed determination to clamp down on crude oil theft and other maritime crimes that have continued to undermine Nigeria’s oil sector.
Oil theft and illegal refining have long been major challenges in the Niger Delta, depriving the country of billions of naira in revenue and causing significant environmental damage to communities across the region.
Security agencies have, in recent years, intensified operations to dismantle illegal refineries and disrupt oil theft networks.
Naval authorities say sustained crackdowns under ongoing anti-oil theft operations have led to the destruction of hundreds of illegal refining sites and the recovery of millions of litres of stolen crude oil and refined products.
The Navy maintains that the continued operations are aimed at protecting critical national assets, safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime environment, and ensuring that crude oil production and exports are not undermined by criminal activities in the region.
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