THE Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft after disrupting two illegal refining sites and recovering more than 53,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in Rivers State.
The operation, carried out on 11 November 2026 by Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeted Okarki Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area following credible intelligence on illegal petroleum activities in the region.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the two sites contained approximately eight dugout pits and storage containers holding an estimated 23,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 30,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The Navy confirmed that the sites and stored products were subsequently handled in accordance with established anti-crude oil theft procedures. No arrests were made, as the suspected operators fled before the arrival of the naval team.
The operation reinforces the Nigerian Navy’s sustained efforts to dismantle illegal refining infrastructure and disrupt crude oil theft networks. It also builds on an earlier operation by NNS PATHFINDER in the same general area on 10 October 2026, during which three illegal refining sites were discovered and deactivated.
These successive operations, the Navy said, underscore the Service’s resolve to deny economic saboteurs access to the nation’s petroleum resources.
The Nigerian Navy remains committed to sustaining intelligence-led operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to protect critical oil and gas infrastructure, support national crude oil production and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests.
