From illegal refineries in the creeks to hidden oil pits, the Navy is turning up the heat on crude oil thieves in Rivers State.
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its offensive against oil theft, shutting down illegal refining sites and recovering over 1.2 million litres of stolen petroleum products in Rivers State.
According to Navy spokesperson Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation is part of Operation Delta Sentinel — a coordinated push to dismantle oil theft networks and protect national revenue.
One major breakthrough came when personnel of NNS Pathfinder uncovered a massive illegal refining site in Umoku, Ndoni, packed with hundreds of thousands of litres of stolen crude and refined products.
At the site alone, authorities recovered about 708,000 litres of refined products and 310,000 litres of crude oil — worth over ₦1.3 billion combined. The operators fled before arrest.
Elsewhere in Bonny, Forward Operating Base troops, backed by air support, uncovered hidden storage pits containing another 231,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
The Navy says these inland discoveries build on earlier seizures and maritime interceptions, including the arrest of vessels like MT MKpodu, MT Westaf, and MT Stelios K, allegedly carrying stolen crude at sea.
Altogether, recent operations have disrupted both land-based refineries and sea-bound smuggling routes — cutting off the entire illegal supply chain.
To keep the pressure on, the Chief of Naval Staff has approved a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel.
The message is clear — Nigeria’s waters and oil fields are no longer safe havens for thieves.
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