Navy Busts Illegal Fuel Network, Recovers Over 92,000 Litres of Suspected Refined Diesel in Rivers
By Pan Afric Reporters
The Nigerian Navy has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal petroleum activities in the Niger Delta, recovering 92,660 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) concealed in a creek-side storage network along the Rivers–Bayelsa border corridor.
The development was disclosed in a press statement issued by the Nigerian Navy and signed by Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information.
According to the Navy, the operation was carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, following credible intelligence that led personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH to Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The statement revealed that aerial surveillance and follow-up search operations uncovered approximately 138 sacks containing suspected illegally refined AGO, strategically hidden under thick vegetation and at multiple locations along adjoining waterways.
Describing the operation as another significant success in the fight against economic sabotage, the Navy said the discovery exposed the evolving tactics employed by criminal syndicates involved in the illicit petroleum trade.
“The operation highlights the growing use of concealed creek-side storage points by criminal networks involved in the illegal petroleum trade,” the statement noted.
The Navy further disclosed that the recovered petroleum products were handled in accordance with existing regulations, effectively denying the perpetrators access to resources intended to sustain their illegal operations.
The latest seizure underscores the military’s intensified efforts to dismantle networks responsible for crude oil theft, illegal refining, and petroleum smuggling, activities that continue to deprive the nation of critical revenue and damage the environment.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s economic assets, the Nigerian Navy stated that it would sustain intelligence-led operations across the Niger Delta and other vulnerable areas.
“The Nigerian Navy remains committed to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at disrupting crude oil theft and illegal petroleum distribution networks across the Niger Delta,” the statement added.
The successful operation is expected to further strengthen ongoing efforts by security agencies to combat oil theft and restore sanity to Nigeria’s vital oil-producing region.
