The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta following the discovery of reactivated refining camps in the Ndoni area of Rivers State.
In a statement Director of Naval Information AA Folorunsho said the operation, carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeted criminal infrastructure allegedly reactivated after previous enforcement operations in the area.
According to the Navy, operatives uncovered a network of dugout pits and storage facilities containing large quantities of substances suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Preliminary assessments indicated that about 184,000 litres of the suspected illegally refined product were stored across the refining cluster.
The Navy said findings from the operation revealed the continued use of abandoned oil infrastructure by criminal syndicates to sustain illegal refining and distribution activities within the region.
It noted that the latest discovery underscored the evolving tactics of oil theft networks, particularly the reactivation of dismantled camps and facilities to evade security operations and resume illegal production.
According to the service, illegal refining operations in the Niger Delta have increasingly developed into interconnected supply, storage and distribution systems designed to regenerate after previous disruptions.
The Navy stated that ongoing operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL are focused on systematically dismantling the support structures sustaining economic sabotage and denying criminal elements the operational environment required to continue illicit activities.
The illegal refining sites and recovered products were subsequently destroyed in line with operational procedures, while surveillance and follow-up operations in the area remain ongoing.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and sustaining coordinated operations aimed at securing Nigeria’s maritime and littoral environment from economic saboteurs.
