Nigerian Navy Dismantles Illegal Refinery, Recovers 20,000 Litres of Stolen Crude in Rivers

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an illegal refining site in Bonny Local Government Area, recovering over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the Acting Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho.

According to Folorunsho, the operation was carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, under the Eastern Naval Command. He said the raid followed credible intelligence on illegal refining activities in Allison Community.

Naval operatives deployed to the area discovered an active illegal refining site equipped with dugout pits, locally fabricated cooking and cooling systems, as well as sacks containing substances suspected to be stolen crude oil.

“Further assessment revealed over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil stored at the facility,” he said.

Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure was dismantled in accordance with operational procedures, while the suspects fled upon sighting the naval team.

He noted that the operation highlights the Navy’s intensified efforts to combat crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region.

The naval spokesperson further explained that the operation aligns with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, to strengthen intelligence-driven missions aimed at protecting critical oil infrastructure.

He added that such interventions are also geared towards supporting the Federal Government’s goal of increasing oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day.