In a decisive blow against economic sabotage, operatives of the Nigerian Navy have seized approximately 1,600 liters of what is believed to be illegally refined diesel in Rivers State. The operation, a component of the broader anti-oil theft campaign tagged Operation Delta Sentinel, was carried out by personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Soroh.
Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information, disclosed the success in a statement issued from Abuja. He detailed that the enforcement action was triggered by actionable intelligence pointing to clandestine refining activities in the Okolomade community, situated within the Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State and close to the Bayelsa border.
According to Folorunsho, the navy’s Anti-Crude Oil Theft squad, operating in the Orashi Forest region, employed an unmanned aerial surveillance system to identify hidden caches of the product. This high-tech reconnaissance led to the discovery of 16 large sacks, each holding roughly 100 liters of suspect illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Upon the arrival of naval forces, the individuals believed to be behind the illegal operation fled the scene. The confiscated materials have since been processed in accordance with standard operating procedures. Folorunsho emphasized that the navy remains steadfast in its mission to dismantle illicit refining networks and combat crude oil theft across the Niger Delta, vowing that there will be no refuge for those who undermine the nation’s economy. He reiterated that sustained patrols and operations will continue throughout the waterways and creeks under their jurisdiction.