Navy disrupts oil theft, recovers 1.2m litres in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in Rivers State, leading to the recovery of 1.2 million litres of stolen and illegally refined petroleum products in the state. This is contained in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Thursday in Abuja. Folorunsho said that […]
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in Rivers State, leading to the recovery of 1.2 million litres of stolen and illegally refined petroleum products in the state.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Thursday in Abuja.
Folorunsho said that the development was part of ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel, aimed at dismantling oil theft networks and protecting Nigeria’s economic assets.
He explained that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, uncovered a major illegal refining site in Omoku, Ndoni area of the state.
According to him, the site contained about 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene, as well as 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
“The products are estimated at over N1.06 billion for refined products and about N288 million for crude oil.
“The site had numerous dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used for processing stolen crude oil.
“The products were handled in line with extant procedures, while the perpetrators fled on sighting the patrol team.”
Folorunsho also said that the troops of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, supported by naval air assets, uncovered multiple illegal crude oil storage sites in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area.
He said that about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, valued at over N215 million, were recovered from the sites.
He added that the products were concealed in dugout pits and connected to waterways through improvised distribution systems. (NAN)