The Nigerian Navy has uncovered about 132,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored in 10 dugout pits in Allison community, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, in an operation targeting crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
The discovery was made on 22 October by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, following actionable intelligence.
According to a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain AA Folorunsho, the operation disrupted a potential storage point in the illicit petroleum supply chain.
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The Navy said the site and recovered products were handled in accordance with extant regulations.
It described the operation as another demonstration of the importance of intelligence-led operations in identifying concealed petroleum stockpiles and dismantling the infrastructure supporting crude oil theft and the unauthorised movement of petroleum products.
The service reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operations against illegal refining activities and networks involved in crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.
It also urged community leaders, residents, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to promptly report suspected crude oil theft, illegal refining, suspicious petroleum storage and unauthorised movement of petroleum products to the nearest security agency.
The Navy stressed that timely and credible information from the public would enable security agencies to respond swiftly and prevent illicit activities from expanding.
It added that protecting the nation’s critical petroleum assets requires sustained vigilance and active cooperation between security agencies and host communities.
