The Nigeria military, through the Nigerian Navy, has dismantled a major illegal refining complex and recovered over 205,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products during an anti-crude oil theft operation in Rivers State.
The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, followed credible intelligence that led personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH to a newly established illegal refining network in the Egboama/Ogbogolo axis of Ahoada West Local Government Area.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation uncovered and deactivated three illegal refining sites comprising six refining ovens, three reservoirs and four dugout pits.
He disclosed that the sites contained about 38,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and approximately 167,180 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), bringing the total volume of recovered petroleum products to 205,680 litres.
Folorunsho said the discovery highlighted the sophistication of criminal networks involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta, noting that dismantling the facilities before they could sustain further production dealt a major blow to economic saboteurs.
He added that the illegal refining sites and all recovered products were handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, denying the perpetrators access to infrastructure and products used to sustain their illicit activities.
The Navy Captain reaffirmed that the Nigerian Navy would sustain the operational momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL by targeting the infrastructure, logistics and supply chains supporting crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.
He stressed that the Nigerian Navy remains committed to protecting Nigeria’s maritime domain and critical oil and gas assets through sustained intelligence-driven operations in support of national economic security.
