The Nigerian Navy has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing anti-crude oil theft campaign with the discovery and dismantling of an illegal crude oil storage facility in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, led to the recovery of about 20,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, further disrupting the logistics network of oil thieves operating in the Niger Delta.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny acted on credible intelligence to raid the facility located around the Bethel Community axis.
During the operation, naval personnel uncovered six concealed dugout pits used for storing suspected stolen crude oil. Three of the pits contained approximately 20,500 litres of the product, while the remaining three had already been prepared for storage.
The Navy said the arrangement of the site revealed a well-organised illegal storage hub designed to support crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage.
The statement added that the illegal storage facility and the recovered products were handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying criminal elements another strategic logistics base for their illicit operations.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling the infrastructure that sustains crude oil theft, rather than merely intercepting stolen products in transit.
It stressed that by targeting storage facilities and disrupting supply chains, the Service seeks to weaken the operational capacity of criminal syndicates and protect Nigeria’s critical oil and gas resources.
The Navy also warned individuals involved in crude oil theft and related economic crimes to desist, stating that offenders would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
It reiterated its resolve to sustain Operation DELTA SENTINEL as part of broader efforts to combat crude oil theft, safeguard the nation’s maritime environment and strengthen Nigeria’s economic security.
