The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting thousands of litres of suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar. The operations, conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, underscore the Navy’s commitment to combating economic sabotage in Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH destroyed an illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. The action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
An Anti-Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed. Further exploration of the area revealed additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing approximately 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil. The illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes, and newly acquired metal components, was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
In a separate operation, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Victory intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority area in Calabar, Cross River State. The interception was based on credible intelligence regarding suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility. Upon sighting the patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled, after which the area was cordoned off and the products secured. Further inspection led to the recovery of approximately 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which were evacuated to the naval base for further action.
Folorunsho noted that these successes align with the directive of Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain. He reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo through intensified surveillance, patrols, and intelligence-driven operations.
For Nigeria’s economy, crude oil theft represents a significant drain on national revenues. Each barrel illegally extracted and sold deprives the federation account of income that could fund infrastructure, education, and healthcare. The destruction of refining sites and interception of stolen products disrupts criminal networks that have inflicted billions of dollars in losses on the economy over decades.
