The Nigerian Navy on Saturday, August 22, foiled an attempt by suspected oil thieves to revive illegal refining activities in Rivers State, recovering approximately 103,000 litres of products suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) also known as diesel.
The operation was conducted by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, following credible intelligence on the activities of illegal refiners around the Ohaji axis of Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
According to the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the naval personnel discovered and disrupted three illegal refining sites during the operation.
He said the sites contained 12 dugout pits, sacks and reservoirs filled with the suspected illegally refined products, as well as two pumping machines.
Folorunsho said the operation was significant as it came barely a week after NNS PATHFINDER disrupted two other illegal refining sites in the same general area on Saturday, August 15.
“Those successive interventions have constrained efforts by criminal elements to rebuild illegal refining infrastructure, with a noticeable decline in the reactivation of such sites,” he said.
The Director of Naval Information said the recovered products, illegal refining sites and equipment had been handled in line with established procedures for combating crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage.
He added that no arrests were made as the suspected operators fled the area before the arrival of the naval personnel.
Folorunsho said the latest operation demonstrated the impact of sustained naval pressure on the infrastructure supporting illegal refining and crude oil theft.
According to him, the disruption of such infrastructure would make it increasingly difficult for criminal elements to restore their illicit operations and continue activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to sustaining Operation DELTA SENTINEL as part of efforts to protect the nation’s oil and gas assets, curb economic sabotage and provide a secure environment for legitimate production and investment.
He said the Navy would continue to deny criminal elements access to facilities and infrastructure used to perpetrate crude oil theft and illegal refining across the country’s oil-producing communities.
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