By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Navy has destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site in Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Director of Naval Information, Adams‑Aliyu Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Folorunsho said the operation was carried out on Saturday, March 14, 2026, by Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, a task unit operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
He explained that the naval team acted on credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had been reactivated.
According to him, an Anti-Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team was immediately deployed to the location where it discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
Folorunsho added that further search of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.
“The illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining activities, was subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational procedures,” he said.
Folorunsho said the operation forms part of the Nigerian Navy’s efforts to combat crude oil theft and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
He added that the success was in line with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft across the country’s maritime domain.
“The Nigerian Navy remains committed to sustaining the momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling illegal refining networks and protecting Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure,” Folorunsho stated.