The Nigerian Navy has uncovered and dismantled an illegal refinery operating within Obe-Jedo and Obe-Adun communities in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Confirming the operation, the Commander of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Igbokoda, Navy Captain Aliyu Usman, said seven suspects were apprehended at the scene, while locally fabricated guns and machetes—reportedly used to resist arrest—were recovered.
Usman explained that the operation was carried out following credible intelligence on ongoing economic sabotage and maritime crimes in the area. During the raid, operatives discovered about 3,000 litres of refined diesel stored in jerrycans, alongside several locally constructed ovens used to process stolen crude oil.
Preliminary investigations, he noted, revealed that the suspects arrested were secondary participants in the illicit operation and had since been released, while the principal operators remain at large and have been declared wanted.
According to the commander, the Navy team initially encountered stiff resistance from a group of hired youths and women who attempted to shield the illegal activity. To avoid civilian casualties and escalation, the operatives tactically withdrew and later returned at dawn for a renewed offensive.
“Upon our return, we discovered that the stolen crude oil and refined products had been moved to a nearby bakery and makeshift storage facilities. The illegal refinery was subsequently dismantled in accordance with Defence Headquarters’ directive,” Usman stated.
He described the obstruction of naval personnel by locals as a “dangerous innovation” by criminal syndicates determined to sabotage national economic assets and frustrate legitimate security operations.
Captain Usman reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to intensify the fight against crude oil theft and protect the nation’s maritime resources.
“The Nigerian Navy warns residents of riverine communities in Ondo State to desist from supporting or shielding oil thieves,” he said. “These criminal ventures enrich only a few individuals while devastating the environment and livelihoods of the entire community.”
He further cautioned that anyone found obstructing naval operations against crude oil theft would be treated as an accomplice and prosecuted accordingly.
