The Nigerian Navy has uncovered and shut down an illegal refining operation in Rivers State, recovering a total of 61,000 litres of petroleum products suspected to have been stolen and illegally processed.
The development was disclosed in an operational update issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder under Operation Delta Sentinel in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni area of Rivers State.
He said the operation led to the discovery and destruction of three newly established illegal refining facilities believed to be connected to crude oil theft activities in the region.
The naval spokesperson explained that officers recovered about 43,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 18,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored in 12 underground pits and reservoirs.
“The combined volume of illegally refined products recovered brings the total volume of recovered petroleum products to 61,000 litres,” Folorunsho stated.
He noted that the discovery showed that oil thieves were still attempting to rebuild and expand illegal refining networks despite ongoing military operations aimed at stopping such activities.
Folorunsho recalled that similar illegal refining structures had earlier been destroyed in the same area in July 2026, adding that the latest operation demonstrated the navy’s continued efforts to prevent criminal groups from reviving their activities.
He said maintaining a strong presence in identified oil theft hotspots would help deny economic saboteurs the chance to restore their networks, while also protecting vital national assets and supporting the government’s efforts to improve oil production.
The naval spokesperson reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to intelligence-based operations aimed at eliminating illegal refining sites, disrupting crude oil theft networks, and protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas resources.
(NAN)