The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, dismantling three reactivated illegal refining sites and recovering about 61,000 litres of petroleum products in Rivers State.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni axis of Rivers State.
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The operation led to the discovery and deactivation of three newly established illegal refining sites linked to crude oil theft in the area.
Folorunsho said naval personnel recovered approximately 43,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and 18,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in 12 dugout pits and reservoirs, bringing the total volume of recovered petroleum products to 61,000 litres.
He noted that the latest operation underscores the persistent efforts of criminal syndicates to reactivate and expand illegal refining activities despite sustained security operations.
He recalled that similar illegal refining infrastructure had been dismantled within the same area in July 2026, indicating the determination of oil theft networks to resume operations.
“The sustained operational presence of the Nigerian Navy across identified hotspots continues to deny economic saboteurs the opportunity to rebuild their networks while protecting critical national assets and supporting the Federal Government’s drive to boost oil production and strengthen economic security,” Folorunsho said.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, stressing that the service would continue to dismantle illegal refining infrastructure, disrupt crude oil theft networks and safeguard Nigeria’s oil and gas resources.
