By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Navy has stepped up its offensive against crude oil theft, recording major operational breakthroughs under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, with recoveries running into billions of naira.
The Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement, detailing a series of intelligence-driven operations led by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER in Rivers State.
According to the Navy, the operations disrupted large-scale illegal refining and crude oil storage activities across key areas of the state.
“Acting on credible intelligence, personnel of NNS PATHFINDER deployed Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol teams to the Ndoni/Egbema general area, where a major illegal refining site was uncovered in Umoku, Ndoni,” the statement said.
The Navy explained that the site contained multiple dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used for processing stolen crude oil.
Further assessment, it noted, revealed approximately 708,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene.
“In addition, about 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil were discovered stored in dugout pits,” the statement added.
The Navy put the estimated value of the recovered products at over ₦1.06 billion for refined products and about ₦288 million for crude oil.
It said the products were handled in accordance with extant operational procedures, while suspects fled upon sighting naval patrol teams.
In a related operation, the Navy said Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, supported by naval air assets, uncovered and deactivated multiple illegal crude oil storage sites within Allison Community in Bonny Local Government Area.
The operation, according to the statement, led to the recovery of about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil valued at over ₦215 million.
The products, it added, were concealed in dugout pits and linked to waterways through improvised distribution systems.
The Navy noted that the latest operations build on earlier successes recorded between January and March 2026, during which over 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products valued at more than ₦600 million were recovered.
It also disclosed that several illegal refining sites and logistics nodes were dismantled across the Niger Delta during the period.
On the maritime front, the Navy said its operations led to the arrest of three vessels—Motor Tankers MKPODU, WESTAF, and STELIOS K—laden with over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Navy said the volume translates to approximately 1.04 million litres valued at over ₦967 million.
It explained that the combination of inland and maritime operations reflects a deliberate multi-domain strategy aimed at dismantling the entire crude oil theft value chain.
“This convergence of inland disruption and maritime interdiction emphasises a deliberate multi-domain operational strategy aimed at dismantling the entire crude oil theft value chain and protecting the nation’s vital oil and gas assets,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has approved a 90-day extension of Operation DELTA SENTINEL.