The Nigerian Navy has disrupted the movement of illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers, seizing a massive 22,870 litres of stolen diesel.
Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information, revealed that the operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH in the Orashi Forest area of Okolomade Community in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers.
Folorunsho said the naval team acted on credible intelligence indicating the movement of illegally refined petroleum products through creek channels in the area. On arrival, the patrol team intercepted a wooden boat conveying 36 sacks of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) along an adjoining creek.
Aerial surveillance conducted using a drone led to the identification of additional concealed stockpiles hidden under vegetation and inside ponds within the general area. A detailed search subsequently led to the recovery of an additional 45 sacks of suspected illegally refined AGO concealed at different locations, bringing the total recovery to 81 sacks containing approximately 22,870 litres.
The operation also denied criminal elements the use of the intercepted wooden boat for transporting illicit petroleum products. Folorunsho reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling crude oil theft networks, denying criminal elements freedom of action on the nation’s waterways, and protecting Nigeria’s strategic economic assets.
The recovered products and the wooden boat were handled in line with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, further disrupting the logistics network supporting illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta. Folorunsho highlighted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security in the Niger Delta region and prevent the economic and environmental damage caused by crude oil theft.
The Nigerian Navy has consistently demonstrated its determination to confront and dismantle the networks of crude oil thieves in the country. Through its operational efficiency and intelligence gathering, the Navy has been able to disrupt and dismantle several illegal petroleum product refineries across the Niger Delta region.
The Navy's Operation DELTA SENTINEL has yielded significant results in recent months, with notable successes in the areas of crude oil theft disruption and logistics network dismantling.
In related news, the Niger Delta region has become a hotspot for crude oil theft, with estimates suggesting that the economic losses to the federal government and the environment may be in the hundreds of billions of naira.
The issue of crude oil theft has been a persistent challenge for the Nigerian government, with the country losing significant revenue due to the activities of these criminal groups.