Navy Uncovers Nine Illegal Refineries In Rivers

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered nine illegal refining sites and 23 dugout pits containing an estimated 104,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

According to The Nation, the discovery was disclosed in an operational report issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho.

Folorunsho said the operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.

He explained that the troops uncovered nine illegal refining sites comprising 23 dugout pits, with 18 of the pits containing about 104,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.

The Navy said the operation forms part of its sustained efforts to combat crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.

“Five newly excavated pits, prepared for imminent use, were also found and neutralised before they could become operational.”

He added that with the development, navy had prevented the expansion of illegal refining network in the locality.

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”The operation dealt another major setback to crude oil theft syndicates and further reinforced the service’s resolve to safeguard Nigeria’s critical oil and gas infrastructure.

“Following actionable intelligence, personnel targeted criminal infrastructure concealed within the Wakama/Bolo and Aworkiri communities.

“The operation denied economic saboteurs the opportunity to activate new refining locations and sustain illicit petroleum production,” he said.

The naval director of information revealed that eight locally fabricated refining pots and three large storage tanks were recovered, further disrupting the criminal network’s refining capability.

“All illegal facilities and recovered products were handled in accordance with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures.

”The latest success highlights the Nigerian navy’s determination not only to disrupt illegal refining activities, but also prevent criminal networks from rebuilding their infrastructure.

“By targeting both active and emerging illegal refining hubs, the service continues to weaken the operational resilience of crude oil theft syndicates and protecting Nigeria’s economic interests”, he further said.

The naval spokesperson reaffirmed the navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations to dismantle criminal logistics, protect strategic national assets, and preserve the integrity of the nation’s oil and gas sector.