Key points
- The Nigerian Navy uncovered and dismantled seven concealed dugout pits in Bonny, Rivers State.
- Four of the pits had been newly excavated, while three contained water, indicating preparations for crude oil theft.
- The operation was carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
- The Navy said disrupting illegal infrastructure weakens the logistics network supporting crude oil theft.
Main story
The Nigerian Navy has dismantled seven concealed dugout pits believed to have been prepared for crude oil theft operations in the Bonny area of Rivers State, in a move aimed at disrupting illegal oil bunkering before it becomes operational.
The operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL during a targeted raid around Dema Abbey Community.
Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, said preliminary findings showed that four of the pits had been recently excavated, while three contained water, suggesting they were being prepared for use as temporary storage facilities for stolen crude oil.
He explained that similar concealed pits discovered during previous operations had been used to store stolen crude before it was transported to illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta.
According to Folorunsho, the newly excavated pits were dismantled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, preventing criminal groups from establishing another illegal storage hub in the Bonny operational area.
He said the operation reflected the Navy’s strategy of targeting the infrastructure that supports crude oil theft at an early stage rather than waiting for illegal operations to become fully established.
Folorunsho added that the preventive approach was helping to weaken the logistics network sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining activities across the region.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling criminal infrastructure, protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas assets and supporting national economic security.
The issues
Crude oil theft remains one of Nigeria’s biggest economic and security challenges, resulting in revenue losses, environmental degradation and damage to critical oil infrastructure. Security agencies have increasingly shifted towards disrupting illegal operations before they become fully operational.
What’s being said
“This preventive approach continues to weaken the logistics chain sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.” — Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information
What’s next
The Navy is expected to sustain intelligence-driven operations targeting illegal oil infrastructure as part of broader efforts to curb crude oil theft and protect strategic energy assets.
Bottom line
By dismantling illegal storage facilities before they become operational, the Nigerian Navy aims to disrupt the supply chain of crude oil theft and strengthen the protection of the country’s oil resources.
