Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian Navy, under the ongoing Operation Delta Sentinel, has uncovered a large cache of illegally refined petroleum products concealed deep within the forested creeks of Rivers State. The operation, which targeted criminal networks in the Ndoni area and along the Rivers-Bayelsa border, led to the seizure of thousands of litres of products and the dismantling of several refining sites.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, detailed the week-long offensive. He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, acting on intelligence, raided reactivated camps in the Ndoni area of Rivers State, exposing a network of dugout pits and storage facilities containing an estimated 184,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). The operation also revealed how criminal syndicates are exploiting abandoned oil infrastructure and have become adept at reactivating previously dismantled camps after enforcement actions.
In a related development along the Rivers-Bayelsa border, operatives of NNS Soroh, acting on reports of suspicious activity around the Okarki community waterside in Abua-Odual LGA, deployed aerial surveillance systems that revealed multiple sacks concealed within dense vegetation. A subsequent ground exploitation led to the recovery of 38 sacks containing approximately 3,800 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO. Further north in the state, an anti-crude oil theft team in the Orashi Forest, operating near the boundary with Bayelsa’s Ogbia LGA, recovered 16 sacks of product, totalling an additional 1,600 litres.
Captain Folorunsho noted that while suspects fled the scenes upon sighting the naval personnel, the recovered products were secured and the sites were decommissioned in line with standard operational procedures. He stated that the operations highlight the increasing reliance of illegal fuel networks on remote creek corridors and hidden storage points to sustain their activities. He added that ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel are focused on identifying emerging hot-spots, disrupting illegal refining infrastructure, and restricting the mobility of criminal elements.
The Navy’s crackdown comes barely a week after the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Lekki intercepted about 1,800 litres of suspected stolen AGO in Lagos, and personnel of FOB Badagry seized 130 bags of foreign parboiled rice during an anti-smuggling operation. This sustained pressure is the result of Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, approving a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel to maintain the operational momentum established since its launch on January 13, 2026. Cumulative reports from the first quarter of 2026 show the Navy conducted over 183 operations, destroying 12 illegal refinery sites, 4 storage facilities, and 3 vessels. During this period, they recovered 531,500 litres of stolen crude and refined products worth over ₦600 million.
Captain Folorunsho reaffirmed the Navy’s determination to sustain pressure on criminal elements, stating that there will be no safe haven for economic saboteurs across the nation’s waterways and adjoining creeks. He noted that the Navy remains committed to protecting critical national assets and maintaining sustained operations to secure Nigeria’s maritime and littoral environment from economic sabotage.
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