The Nigerian Navy has disrupted an illegal crude oil storage network and recovered approximately 39,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers.
This is contained in an operational report by the Director of Naval Information,Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Folorunsho, the operation was conducted by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY, under operation DELTA SENTINEL, following credible information on illegal activities around Okpokiri community.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the Anti-Crude Oil Theft Team deployed, uncovered suspicious dugout pits concealed within the creek environment in the Base’s area operation, prompting a detailed ground assessment by the patrol team.
“The operation led to the discovery of four dugout pits comprising one large and three medium-sized pits. Three of the pits contained approximately 39,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil, while the fourth pit was found filled with water.
“The discovery highlights the continued use of concealed storage facilities by crude oil theft syndicates to stockpile stolen crude pending evacuation through illegal distribution channels,” he said.
Folorunsho added that by targeting the storage modes, the navy continued to degrade the logistics architecture sustaining crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.
He revealed that the illegal storage site and recovered products were handled in accordance with established operational procedures.
He also confirmed that surveillance of the general area had been intensified to prevent the re-establishment of similar facilities.
The naval spokesperson reaffirmed the navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to dismantle crude oil theft networks, protect critical national assets, and support Nigeria’s economic security.
