Navy operatives under Operation DELTA SENTINEL have dismantled three illegal refining sites in Rivers State, recovering approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 70 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO.
The Nigerian Navy has dealt a major blow to crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in Rivers State, dismantling three suspected illegal refining sites and recovering approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
The operation was conducted on Friday, August 21, 2026, by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, following credible intelligence indicating the suspected reactivation of illegal refining activities in the Okolomade and Ogbogolo areas of Rivers State.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the development in an operational report made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.
According to Folorunsho, the operation uncovered significant infrastructure linked to the illegal refining activities, including two cooking drums, two large ovens, 10 reservoirs and four storage facilities.
The naval personnel also discovered two makeshift camps suspected to have been used as shelters by operators of the illegal refining sites.
In addition to the infrastructure, the operation resulted in the recovery of approximately 91,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil, as well as about 70 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Folorunsho said the recovered products, refining facilities and other associated materials were handled in accordance with established operational procedures.
He added that the operation effectively disrupted the reactivated refining sites and denied their operators access to the infrastructure required to resume illicit activities.
The latest operation is part of the Nigerian Navy’s sustained campaign against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and illicit refining across the Niger Delta. Earlier operations in Rivers State have also targeted illegal refining and petroleum-product networks in and around the Okolomade and Ogbogolo axis.
The Navy said the latest success demonstrates its continued operational pressure on criminal networks involved in the illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s oil resources.
Folorunsho reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to dismantling infrastructure supporting crude oil theft, protecting critical national assets and safeguarding Nigeria’s oil and gas resources from economic saboteurs.
The latest recovery further highlights the scale of the ongoing security challenge around crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, while underscoring the increasing reliance on intelligence-led operations to identify and disrupt illegal refining networks.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
