KEY POINTS
- Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site in the Okolomade Community, Rivers State.
- Personnel discovered that previously dismantled infrastructure had been reconstructed, including ovens and storage tanks.
- In a separate operation, NNS Victory intercepted 3,950 litres of stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) area in Calabar.
- The operations were conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, following directives from Vice Adm. Idi Abbas to intensify the crackdown on economic sabotage.
MAIN STORY
The Nigerian Navy has recorded fresh successes in its ongoing campaign against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering. In Rivers State, an Anti-Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team deployed to Abua-Odual Local Government Area discovered that a dismantled illegal refining site had been surreptitiously rebuilt.
Upon arrival, naval personnel found newly acquired metal components and reconstructed ovens containing approximately 3,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The Navy immediately destroyed the infrastructure, including the connected pipes and hoses, to prevent further operations. Meanwhile, in Cross River State, the Navy intercepted a major siphoning operation at the Calabar port. Credible intelligence suggested that perpetrators were siphoning fuel directly from berthed vessels. A patrol team traced the stolen products to a nearby trailer park, where they recovered 3,950 litres of AGO stored in drums and jerrycans.
Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, confirmed that the suspects fled the scene upon sighting the naval team. The recovered products have been evacuated to the naval base for further action. Folorunsho reiterated that the Navy remains committed to an “intelligence-driven” strategy to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain and protect the national economy from sabotage.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
- “The dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed… newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining were destroyed,” stated Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho.
- On the Calabar interception: “The naval patrol team swiftly deployed… and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.”
- The Navy emphasized that these successes align with the directive of Vice Adm. Idi Abbas to “intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes.”
WHAT’S NEXT
- Security agencies at the Calabar port are expected to review surveillance footage from the trailer park to identify the suspects who fled.
- Following the reactivation in Okolomade, the Navy will increase the frequency of drone surveillance over “hotspot” communities to catch reconstruction efforts early.
- The 3,950 litres of AGO recovered in Calabar will be handed over to relevant regulatory authorities for disposal or return to the original owners.
BOTTOM LINE
The Bottom Line is that the Nigerian Navy is fighting a “game of whack-a-mole” as illegal refiners attempt to rebuild dismantled sites. By shifting toward intelligence-led interceptions at major ports like Calabar and destroying reconstructed ovens in the creeks, Operation DELTA SENTINEL is making the logistics of oil theft increasingly difficult and expensive for criminals.
 team deployed to Abua-Odual Local Government Area discovered that a dismantled illegal refining site had been surreptitiously rebuilt.){kind=link}