The Nigerian Navy has stepped up its campaign against crude oil theft and illegal petroleum activities in Rivers State, recording fresh operational successes with the recovery and interception of about 41,000 litres of products suspected to have been obtained through illicit means.
The operations, carried out in different locations across the state, formed part of ongoing efforts under Operation Delta Sentinel to disrupt criminal networks involved in crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, unlawful refining and the movement of illegally processed petroleum products.
One of the major operations took place in Bonny Local Government Area, where naval personnel attached to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny uncovered what was described as an illegal refining site around the Bethel Community axis.
The operation was reportedly launched after the Navy received intelligence indicating that suspected criminals were attempting to establish illegal connections to oil infrastructure in the area.
Rather than allowing the suspected operation to become fully established, the naval team moved to the location and carried out a search of the area.
During the operation, personnel discovered an illegal refining facility and two pits containing an estimated 24,000 litres of a substance suspected to be stolen crude oil.
The troops also found several hoses at the location. The Navy said the hoses were believed to have been positioned to support the theft and movement of crude oil from oil infrastructure.
The discovery is considered significant because the suspected operators were allegedly still developing the illegal facility when the Navy intervened.
By dismantling the site at an early stage, the security agency said it had prevented the suspected network from acquiring the infrastructure needed to expand its activities and potentially cause further losses to the Nigerian economy.
The Navy said the illegal facilities and materials recovered during the operation were subsequently dealt with in line with existing regulations and established procedures.
The operation in Bonny was followed by another interception in a different part of Rivers State, where personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder stopped a speedboat suspected of transporting illegally refined petroleum products.
The vessel was intercepted along the Onne/Okrika waterways while carrying approximately 17,000 litres of a product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as AGO.
The interception forms part of naval efforts to monitor waterways frequently used by individuals involved in the illegal transportation of petroleum products.
Confirming the operation, the Director of Information of the Nigerian Navy, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the interception was carried out during ongoing anti-crude oil theft operations within the area of responsibility of NNS Pathfinder.
Folorunsho explained that the naval personnel stopped the speedboat and recovered both the vessel and the suspected illegally refined AGO.
He said the recovered items had been handled in accordance with established procedures for operations involving crude oil theft and related petroleum offences.
The Navy also indicated that efforts were continuing to identify the individuals responsible for the illegal activity and bring them to justice.
The two operations highlight the different methods employed by criminal groups within the oil-producing region, ranging from attempts to establish illegal connections to oil infrastructure to the transportation of suspected illegally refined products through waterways.
Security agencies have continued to regard crude oil theft and illegal refining as major threats to Nigeria’s petroleum industry because of their potential impact on government revenue, legitimate oil production and the security of critical infrastructure.
The Navy said its latest operations were aimed at preventing criminal elements from establishing a reliable supply chain through which stolen crude oil and illegally refined products could be moved from one location to another.
According to the service, disrupting such networks requires continuous surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid deployment of personnel when credible information is received.
The recovery of the 24,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Bonny, coupled with the interception of the 17,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO, therefore represents a broader effort to weaken the infrastructure supporting petroleum-related crimes in the region.
Folorunsho said the latest success demonstrated the Navy’s continued commitment to denying economic saboteurs the freedom to operate within Nigeria’s maritime environment.
He stressed that the service would continue to protect the nation’s critical oil and gas assets and prevent criminal groups from exploiting waterways and other strategic locations for illegal petroleum activities.
The Nigerian Navy has also reaffirmed that intelligence-driven operations would remain a key component of its activities under Operation Delta Sentinel.
The operation is expected to continue targeting crude oil thieves, illegal bunkering operators, illegal refineries and individuals involved in the transportation of suspected stolen or illegally refined petroleum products.
The Navy maintained that protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure is essential to safeguarding national economic interests, particularly given the importance of the petroleum sector to government revenue and the wider economy.
Beyond recovering petroleum products, the Navy’s latest operations are also focused on preventing criminal networks from establishing permanent infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale oil theft.
The discovery of the illegal refining site in Bonny before it became fully operational was therefore presented by the Navy as an important disruption to a suspected emerging network.
The service said it would sustain its presence across relevant waterways and oil-producing communities while working with other security agencies and stakeholders to combat economic sabotage.
It further assured that operations under Operation Delta Sentinel would continue as part of efforts to secure the maritime environment, protect oil and gas facilities and reduce the activities of criminal groups operating within Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
With the latest recoveries, the Nigerian Navy has once again demonstrated its ongoing focus on tackling the illegal petroleum trade in the Niger Delta, while investigations into the individuals and networks connected with the recovered products remain ongoing.
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