By Clement John
The Nigerian Navy has recorded major breakthroughs in its ongoing anti-crude oil theft operations, foiling the diversion of over 1.18 million litres of crude oil products valued at more than N1.29 billion, while dismantling several illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta.
Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this on Thursday, noting that the successes were achieved under Operation Delta Sentinel through intelligence-driven missions spearheaded by NNS Pathfinder in Rivers State.
According to him, naval personnel, acting on credible intelligence, deployed anti-crude oil theft patrol teams to the Ndoni/Egbema axis, where a major illegal refining site was uncovered in Umoku, Ndoni.
He explained that the site contained multiple dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used in processing stolen crude oil.
Further inspection revealed about 708,000 litres of suspected illegally refined products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene, as well as approximately 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored in pits.
Folorunsho said the refined products were valued at over N1.06 billion, while the crude oil was estimated at about N288 million, adding that the suspects fled on sighting naval operatives, while the products were handled in line with operational guidelines.
In a related development, personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, with support from naval air assets, uncovered and deactivated multiple illegal crude oil storage facilities in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area.
The operation led to the recovery of about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, valued at over N215 million, concealed in dugout pits and connected to nearby waterways through makeshift distribution channels.
The Navy noted that these latest achievements build on earlier gains recorded between January and March 2026, during which over 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined products worth more than N600 million were recovered, alongside the dismantling of several illegal refining and logistics networks in the region.
Folorunsho added that maritime operations also yielded significant results, including the arrest of three vessels—MT MKPODU, MT WESTAF, and MT STELIOS K—laden with over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil, equivalent to about 1.04 million litres valued at over N967 million.
He said the combined inland and maritime operations demonstrate a coordinated, multi-domain strategy by the Navy to disrupt the entire crude oil theft value chain and safeguard Nigeria’s oil assets.
In view of the operational successes, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has approved a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel to sustain momentum and further clamp down on economic saboteurs.
“The Nigerian Navy remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the nation’s critical oil infrastructure and defending its economic interests,” Folorunsho stated.
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