Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian Navy has successfully prevented another attempt by crude oil theft syndicates to establish illegal storage infrastructure within the Bonny axis of Rivers State, dealing a significant blow to criminal networks seeking to expand their operations in the Niger Delta. The Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in an operational report on Monday, 13 July 2026, in Abuja, stating that the operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
According to Captain Folorunsho, FOB Bonny personnel conducted a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around the Dema Abbey community in Bonny, leading to the discovery of seven concealed dugout pits strategically established within the area. A preliminary assessment revealed that four of the dugout pits had been freshly excavated, while three contained water, indicating preparations to support crude oil theft activities. The discovery is consistent with recent operations in which similar concealed pits were found to have been used as temporary storage facilities for stolen crude oil prior to transportation to illegal refining sites.
The newly excavated pits were subsequently dismantled in accordance with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying criminal elements the infrastructure required to establish another crude oil storage hub within the Bonny operational area. The operation reflects the Navy's proactive operational strategy of disrupting crude oil theft at its preparatory stage by targeting the infrastructure that enables illicit activities before it becomes functional. This preventive approach continues to weaken the logistics chain sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.
The naval spokesperson reaffirmed the Navy's commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations to dismantle criminal infrastructure, deny economic saboteurs freedom of action, and safeguard Nigeria's critical oil and gas assets in support of national economic security. He also warned individuals involved in crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage to desist, stressing that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Operation DELTA SENTINEL is the Nigerian Navy's ongoing anti-crude oil theft campaign designed to dismantle illegal refining operations, disrupt oil theft networks, and protect the country's oil and gas infrastructure across the Niger Delta. The latest operation underscores the Navy's intensified efforts to target the infrastructure underpinning crude oil theft, rather than merely intercepting products in transit. By dismantling storage facilities and disrupting supply networks, the service aims to weaken the operational capacity of criminal syndicates and safeguard Nigeria's vital oil and gas resources. Earlier this year, the Navy deactivated 22 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products during operations conducted between January and March 2026 across Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states. The service also recently intercepted two vessels carrying 939 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil valued at more than N4 billion, leading to the arrest of 26 crew members. In a separate operation carried out in Bonny Local Government Area in March 2026, naval personnel recovered more than 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and dismantled another illegal refining site, underscoring the Navy's intensified efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.
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