The Nigerian Navy has stepped up its campaign against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, dismantling a reactivated illegal refinery in Rivers State and seizing thousands of litres of suspected stolen fuel in Calabar, Cross River State.

Director of Naval Information, Capt Abiodun Folorunsho, said in a statement that personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, stormed Okolomade community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State following credible intelligence.

According to him, the intelligence indicated that an illegal refining site earlier dismantled by the Navy had been secretly brought back into operation. An Anti–Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the area confirmed that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed and was again being used to process stolen crude.

Further search of the site uncovered additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil. The Navy said the entire illegal infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components, was destroyed in line with established operational procedures to prevent reuse.

In a separate operation in Calabar, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Victory intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products within the Nigerian Ports Authority area.

Folorunsho explained that the operation was triggered by intelligence reports of ongoing siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port. A naval patrol team was immediately dispatched and traced the suspected stolen fuel to a trailer park inside the port facility.

On sighting the patrol team, the suspected perpetrators reportedly fled, abandoning the products. The area was subsequently cordoned off and the containers secured.

Inspection of the scene led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans. The seized products were evacuated to the naval base for further action in accordance with extant regulations.

Folorunsho said the latest successes reflect the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and related maritime crimes across Nigeria’s waters.

He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the tempo of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through enhanced surveillance, aggressive patrols and intelligence-driven missions aimed at protecting national economic assets and deterring criminal networks in the maritime domain.