The Nigerian Navy has dismantled two illegal refining facilities and recovered 53,000 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products in Rivers State as part of its ongoing operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
The operation was conducted on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder at Okarki community in Ahoada West Local Government Area under Operation Delta Sentinel.
According to a statement released on Thursday, November 12, the operation followed intelligence reports about suspected illegal petroleum activities in the community.
The recovered products comprised 23,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 30,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
The Navy said the suspected operators fled the location before its personnel arrived, leaving no arrests during the operation.
The recovered petroleum products and the dismantled facilities were handled in line with established procedures for combating crude oil theft and illegal refining.
The latest raid follows another operation by NNS Pathfinder on October 10, 2026, during which naval personnel discovered and deactivated three illegal refining sites in the same general area.
The Nigerian Navy said it would sustain intelligence-driven operations to disrupt crude oil theft, dismantle illegal refining infrastructure and protect the country’s oil and gas assets.
