Navy Busts Illegal Refinery Sites, Recovers 3,800 Litres of Stolen Fuel in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy has disrupted illegal refining operations and recovered large quantities of suspected illegally refined petroleum products in separate operations conducted across parts of Rivers State under Operation Delta Sentinel.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to the statement, the operations were part of sustained efforts to combat crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region.
Folorunsho said personnel of Forward Operating Base Bonny acted on credible intelligence to foil attempts by suspected oil thieves to establish illegal refining sites in the Promise Land area of Bonny Local Government Area.
He explained that an anti-crude oil theft patrol team carried out coordinated reconnaissance missions across surrounding creeks and waterways, supported by aerial surveillance.
The surveillance operation reportedly uncovered concealed refining equipment hidden beneath thick vegetation, while ground assessment confirmed the existence of two newly constructed illegal refining sites close to a river channel.
The sites were found to contain improvised cooking facilities, interconnected pipelines, and other equipment designed for processing and transporting illegally refined petroleum products.
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The Navy said the operators appeared to be in the early stages of establishing the camps, with indications that the sites were being developed into a larger illegal refining hub.
The facilities were subsequently dismantled in line with operational procedures, while the area has been placed under continuous surveillance.
In a separate operation, personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh uncovered a concealed stockpile of petroleum products along the Rivers–Bayelsa border corridor.
The discovery followed intelligence on suspicious movement of petroleum products around the Okarki community waterside in Abua-Odual Local Government Area.
During the operation, aerial surveillance revealed multiple sacks hidden within dense vegetation along the creek, prompting further exploitation of the area.
The Navy recovered about 3,800 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored in 38 sacks.
Although no arrests were made as suspects fled before troops arrived, the recovered products were secured in accordance with operational procedures.
Folorunsho noted that the operations reflect the increasing use of remote creek routes and concealed storage points by illegal refining networks to evade detection.
He added that ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel are focused on identifying emerging hotspots, dismantling illegal refining infrastructure, and restricting the movement of criminal elements within the Niger Delta.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-driven operations aimed at protecting critical national assets and safeguarding the maritime environment from economic sabotage.
By PRNigeria
