The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an illegal oil refining site in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in the process.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Acting Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to Folorunsho, the operation was carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, under the Eastern Naval Command.
He explained that the raid followed credible intelligence on illegal refining activities in Allison Community, Bonny, prompting the deployment of an anti-crude oil theft patrol team to the area.
“The team discovered an active illegal refining site equipped with dugout pits, locally fabricated cooking and cooling systems, as well as sacks containing substances suspected to be stolen crude oil,” he said.
Folorunsho added that further assessment of the site revealed over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored at the facility.
He noted that the illegal refining infrastructure was subsequently dismantled in line with standard operational procedures, while the perpetrators fled upon sighting the naval personnel.
The Navy spokesperson said the successful operation highlights the Nigerian Navy’s sustained crackdown on crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region.
He added that the operation aligns with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, to intensify intelligence-driven operations aimed at protecting critical national assets.
Folorunsho further noted that such efforts are part of broader measures to support the Federal Government’s target of achieving 2.5 million barrels of oil production per day.
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