The Nigerian Navy has recorded significant operational successes under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, with intensified intelligence-driven operations across Rivers State leading to the disruption of illegal refining activities and recovery of petroleum products worth billions of Naira.
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, led a series of coordinated operations targeting crude oil theft and illegal refining networks in the Niger Delta, reinforcing efforts to protect the nation’s economic assets.
According to the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, 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.
The site was found to contain several dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used for processing stolen crude oil. Further assessment revealed about 708,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene, as well as 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored in pits, with a combined estimated value exceeding ₦1.3 billion.
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In a related operation, Forward Operating Base, Bonny, supported by Nigerian Navy air assets, uncovered and deactivated multiple illegal crude oil storage sites in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area, leading to the recovery of about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil valued at over ₦215 million.
Cummulatively, recent operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL built on earlier gains recorded between January and March 2026, during which over 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil Anderson illegally refined petroleum products valued at more than ₦600 million were recovered, alongside the dismantling of several illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta.
The Navy also recorded major successes at sea, including the arrest of three vessels Motor Tankers MKPODU, WESTAF, and STELIOS K carrying over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil, equivalent to approximately 1.04 million litres valued at about ₦967 million.
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has consequently approved a 90-day extension of Operation DELTA SENTINEL to sustain operational momentum, as the Nigerian Navy reaffirms its commitment to dismantling crude oil theft networks and safeguarding the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure.