The Nigerian Navy has uncovered and dismantled another illegal crude oil storage facility in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering about 20,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil during an intelligence-led operation under Operation Delta Sentinel.

The operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny following credible intelligence, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.

Folorunsho said naval operatives raided the Bethel Community axis in Bonny, where they uncovered a concealed network of dugout pits used for storing crude oil suspected to have been stolen.

According to the statement, the operation led to the discovery of six dugout pits. Three of the pits contained approximately 20,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil, while the remaining three had already been prepared for storage.

The Navy said the layout and configuration of the site indicated it was an organised crude oil storage facility established to support illegal refining operations and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
It added that intelligence gathered during the operation would support follow-up efforts aimed at identifying, tracking and dismantling the wider criminal network responsible for operating the facility.

The service said the illegal storage site and the recovered products were handled in accordance with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, thereby preventing the suspects from using the location as a logistics hub for illicit oil activities.

Operation Delta Sentinel is the Nigerian Navy’s ongoing anti-crude oil theft campaign designed to dismantle illegal refining operations, disrupt oil theft networks and protect the country’s oil and gas infrastructure across the Niger Delta.

Reaffirming its commitment to combating crude oil theft, the Navy said it would continue targeting the infrastructure that sustains illegal oil activities rather than merely intercepting stolen products while they are being transported.

“The Nigerian Navy will continue efforts to target the infrastructure underpinning crude oil theft, rather than merely intercepting products in transit.

By dismantling storage facilities and disrupting supply networks, the Service aims to weaken the operational capacity of criminal syndicates and safeguard Nigeria’s vital oil and gas resources,” the statement said.

The Navy also warned individuals involved in crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage to desist, stressing that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The latest operation is part of the Navy’s sustained offensive against crude oil theft under Operation Delta Sentinel across the Niger Delta.

Earlier this year, the Navy deactivated 22 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products during operations conducted between January and March 2026 across Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

The service also recently intercepted two vessels carrying 939 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil valued at more than N4 billion, leading to the arrest of 26 crew members.

In a separate operation carried out in Bonny Local Government Area in March 2026, naval personnel recovered more than 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and dismantled another illegal refining site, underscoring the Navy’s intensified efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.