The Nigerian Navy has recovered a significant quantity of illegally refined petroleum products concealed within a forested area of Rivers State as part of Operation Delta Sentinel, intensifying its campaign against crude oil theft and related economic sabotage across the Niger Delta region.
The latest seizure follows an earlier interception by the Forward Operating Base Lekki of approximately 1,800 litres of suspected stolen automotive gas oil during an intelligence-driven raid in the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos State. Personnel of Forward Operating Base Badagry also recently seized 130 bags of foreign parboiled rice in an anti-smuggling operation along the Badagry waterways.
In the Rivers State operation, naval personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh acted on credible intelligence about the movement and concealment of illegally refined petroleum products near Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area, at the border with Ogbia Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.
An Anti-Crude Oil Theft team deployed to the Orashi Forest area used aerial surveillance, including an unmanned aerial system, to identify sacks of suspected petroleum products concealed beneath vegetation. Subsequent ground exploitation of the area yielded 16 sacks, each containing approximately 100 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined automotive gas oil, bringing the total recovered volume to an estimated 1,600 litres. Suspects fled the scene upon sighting naval personnel, and no arrests were made during the operation. Recovered products were evacuated and processed in line with established procedures.
Director of Naval Information Captain Abiodun Folorunsho said the operation affirmed the Navy’s determination to dismantle illegal refining networks and deny criminal elements freedom of operation within the nation’s maritime and inland waterway domains. He warned that no safe haven would be tolerated for those engaged in crude oil theft and economic sabotage, and that ongoing operations were designed to sustain pressure across all waterways and adjoining creeks.
