The Nigerian Navy has intensified its campaign against economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, destroying an illicit refinery holding approximately 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil and apprehending 37 suspects in separate operations. These actions, conducted under the ongoing Operation Delta Sentinel, underscore a concerted effort to curb illegal activities targeting the nation’s oil and mineral resources.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the first operation targeted an illegal refining site in the Ojekiri general area of Rivers State. Personnel from Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, on an anti-crude oil theft patrol, discovered the facility along the Alakiri River. The site comprised 10 dugout pits containing the stolen crude oil. Following standard operational procedures, the navy destroyed the refinery and its contents. The suspected operators fled upon the arrival of naval personnel.
In a distinct operation at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, a patrol team from NNS SOROH arrested 37 individuals suspected of illegal mining. The suspects were intercepted while attempting to transfer an unspecified quantity of black sand from a wooden boat into two waiting trucks. This raid was executed based on credible intelligence and in line with the Bayelsa State Government’s prohibition on black sand mining.
Captain Folorunsho confirmed that all apprehended suspects, along with the trucks, the wooden boat, and the recovered mineral resources, were transferred to Operation DOO-AKPO, the Bayelsa State security outfit, for further investigation and prosecution.
These successful operations align with directives from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for all naval commands to aggressively pursue perpetrators of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and related economic crimes. The navy reiterated its commitment to sustaining the momentum of Operation Delta Sentinel through intelligence-driven patrols and strengthened collaboration with relevant state and federal stakeholders to protect Nigeria’s maritime domain and economic interests. The persistent issue of oil theft and illegal mining in the Niger Delta continues to pose significant environmental and economic challenges, making such enforcement actions a critical component of national security strategy.
