The Nigerian Navy has recorded another major operational success in its fight against crude oil theft and illegal petroleum activities, recovering 92,660 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, in Rivers State.
The recovery was made under Operation Delta Sentinel, following credible intelligence that led personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH to Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, along the Rivers–Bayelsa border corridor.
According to a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, aerial surveillance and follow-on search operations conducted by naval personnel uncovered about 138 sacks containing suspected illegally refined AGO concealed under vegetation and at various locations along adjoining waterways.
The Navy said the discovery highlights the evolving tactics of criminal networks involved in the illegal petroleum trade, who increasingly rely on hidden creek-side storage facilities to conceal products and evade security operatives.
Naval authorities noted that the recovered products were handled in accordance with extant regulations, thereby denying economic saboteurs access to resources intended to sustain illicit refining and distribution activities.
The operation is part of sustained efforts by the Nigerian Navy to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining, and other maritime crimes that undermine Nigeria’s economy and threaten environmental sustainability in the Niger Delta region.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting the nation’s critical economic assets, the Nigerian Navy said it would continue to deploy intelligence-driven operations to disrupt criminal networks and strengthen maritime security across the country’s waterways.
The latest recovery underscores the Navy’s determination to rid the Niger Delta of illegal petroleum activities and safeguard national resources from economic sabotage.
