The Nigerian Navy on Thursday intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, dismantling two illegal refining sites and recovering about 85,300 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil in Rivers State.

 The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, took place in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni axis of the state, where naval personnel uncovered and deactivated the illegal refining facilities linked to ongoing crude oil theft.
According to the Navy, the recovered products were concealed in dugout pits and reservoirs used by operators of the illicit refining sites.

The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho,  in a statement, said the  latest success comes only days after similar illegal refining infrastructure was discovered and destroyed within the same general area, indicating that criminal syndicates continue to make attempts to reactivate their operations despite sustained security pressure.

  According to him, the repeated discoveries underscore the effectiveness of its continuous operational presence across identified hotspots in the Niger Delta, which has significantly restricted the activities of economic saboteurs involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining.

 Folorunsho noted that sustained operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL have continued to deny criminal elements the freedom to establish and maintain illegal refining networks, while protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests.

 He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the offensive against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities, stressing that it would continue to dismantle illegal refining networks and protect the nation’s maritime and energy assets.

 Folorunsho added that the Service remains resolute in its determination to combat crude oil theft through sustained operations across the Niger Delta.