Navy Smashes Five Illegal Refining Sites, Seizes 13,350 Litres of Stolen Crude in Delta Creeks

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, destroying five illegal refining sites and seizing over 13,000 litres of stolen crude oil in a series of coordinated raids.

Personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Escravos executed the operations across the creeks of Delta State, targeting syndicates involved in crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other illicit activities.

FOB Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Ikenna Okoloagu, told journalists on Tuesday that the operations, carried out within the last few days, reflected the Navy’s renewed pressure on economic saboteurs under Operation Delta Sanity II.

He disclosed that troops recovered 13,350 litres of stolen crude oil hidden in 30 dugout pits and three polythene sacks, adding that the breakthrough followed credible intelligence aligned with the Strategic Directives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal).

Captain Okoloagu outlined the operations as follows:

• November 5, 2025: Operatives dismantled two illegal refining sites at Obodo Omadino in Warri South-West LGA, recovering 4,000 litres of stolen crude stored in 12 dugout pits.

• November 14, 2025: Troops deactivated another site in the same area, recovering 3,850 litres of illegal crude from seven dugout pits and three polythene sacs.

• November 19, 2025: Two additional sites were dismantled, with 5,200 litres of stolen crude recovered from 11 dugout pits.

He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to maintaining unrelenting pressure on criminal networks sabotaging the nation’s economy.