Chukwu Obinna 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Navy intensifies its crackdown on crude oil theft, recovering more than 1.2 million litres of stolen and illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers State.
The operation, conducted under Operation Delta Sentinel, targets entrenched oil theft networks threatening Nigeria’s economic stability.
Director of Naval Information, Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, says naval personnel uncovered a major illegal refining site in Omoku, Ndoni area, seizing about 708,000 litres of refined products and 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude.
“The products are estimated at over N1.06 billion… while perpetrators fled on sighting patrol teams,” Folorunsho says.
He adds that troops from the Forward Operating Base in Bonny, supported by naval air assets, also discovered multiple illegal storage facilities in Allison Community.
According to him, an additional 231,000 litres of suspected crude oil valued above N215 million were recovered during the operation.
Authorities say the products were hidden in dugout pits and connected to waterways through improvised distribution systems, revealing increasing sophistication in oil theft operations.
The Navy maintains that sustained enforcement is critical to protecting national revenue and deterring criminal networks operating in the Niger Delta.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah