The Nigerian Navy says it has intensified efforts to combat crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Cross River State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Folorunsho explained that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, carried out an operation at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, where an illegal refining site that had earlier been dismantled was discovered to have resumed operations.
According to him, the operation followed credible intelligence that illegal refining activities had restarted at the location.
“An Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the area discovered that a previously dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed and reactivated,” Folorunsho said.
He added that further inspection of the site led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities.
“During exploitation of the area, the team uncovered equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he stated.
Folorunsho noted that the illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for refining, was destroyed in accordance with operational procedures.
In a separate operation in Calabar, Cross River State, naval personnel attached to Nigerian Navy Ship Victory intercepted suspected stolen petroleum products within the Nigerian Ports Authority area.
Folorunsho said the operation was based on intelligence indicating that petroleum products were being siphoned from vessels berthed at the port.
“The naval patrol team swiftly deployed to the area and traced the siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility,” he said.
He added that the suspected perpetrators fled the scene after sighting the naval patrol team.
“On sighting the patrol team, the suspects abandoned the products and fled. The area was subsequently secured and the illegally siphoned petroleum products were recovered,” he said.
According to him, about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans were recovered and later evacuated to a naval base for further investigation and necessary action.
Folorunsho said the operations were in line with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to intensify the fight against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through increased surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations.
“The Nigerian Navy remains committed to combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage within Nigeria’s maritime environment,” he added.
