The Nigerian Navy says personnel of NNS Delta have discovered three dugout reservoirs containing approximately 25,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at Obodo Omadino in Delta State.
Naval spokesman Captain Abiodun Folorunsho said the discovery was made on October 21, 2026, under Operation Delta Sentinel. He said the reservoirs were handled in line with operational procedures and that the intervention disrupted a suspected storage point for illegally obtained petroleum.
The Navy also reported that joint operations with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency between October 19 and 22 led to the arrest of 19 suspects around Warri. Items recovered reportedly included tramadol, 20 litres of a substance described as Monkey Tail, 35 kilograms of cannabis and 18 kilograms of a substance identified as Colorado.
According to the statement, the suspects and recovered materials were transferred to the NDLEA Warri Area Command for investigation. The arrests do not, by themselves, establish the suspects’ guilt.
Separately, naval leaders used the Nigerian Navy Research and Development Seminar in Abuja to call for greater domestic production of defence equipment and investment in emerging technologies. Chief of Naval Transformation and Innovation Rear Admiral Chijioke Onyemaobi said dependence on imported platforms and spare parts exposed operations to cost pressures and supply delays.
Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas said unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, advanced sensors and local shipbuilding capabilities could improve maritime surveillance and the protection of critical infrastructure. He urged participants to focus on practical technologies that strengthen operational effectiveness while making efficient use of available resources.
