Nigerian Navy Foils Attempt to Revive Illegal Refineries in Rivers, Seizes 120,000 Litres of Petroleum Products
The Nigerian Navy has thwarted efforts by suspected economic saboteurs to revive illegal refining activities in Rivers State, recovering about 120,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products.
The operation, conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeted renewed attempts by criminal elements to re-establish dismantled illegal refining networks in the Niger Delta.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER acted on credible intelligence to carry out a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around the Oseokishikpa axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
During the raid, naval operatives uncovered two illegal refining sites comprising eight dugout pits and reservoirs. The sites contained approximately 15,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 105,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The Navy described the discovery as significant, noting that it exposed ongoing attempts by criminal elements to reactivate illegal refining infrastructure previously dismantled by security agencies within the same area.
It stated that the operation not only disrupted the illicit activities but also prevented the re-establishment of a refining network capable of sustaining crude oil theft and causing further environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.
The statement added that the illegal refining sites and recovered products were handled in line with existing anti-crude oil theft procedures, thereby denying the perpetrators access to resources intended to support their criminal operations.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the nation’s economic interests, the Nigerian Navy said it would continue to sustain intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle crude oil theft networks and safeguard critical national infrastructure across the Niger Delta.
