Tuesday, September 1, 2026 - The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on illegal oil refining in Rivers State, dismantling two illegal refining sites and recovering about 34,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The sites were uncovered by personnel of the Nigerian Navy
Ship (NNS) Pathfinder around the Ohaji axis of Egbema-Ndoni Local Government
Area during an operation conducted on August 28, 2026.
According to the Navy, the recovered petroleum products were
stored in dugout pits, sacks and reservoirs at the sites, alongside other
equipment and materials believed to have been used for illegal refining
activities.
The operation was part of sustained efforts by NNS
Pathfinder to prevent the re-establishment of illegal refining infrastructure
in the area, where repeated interventions by security agencies have been aimed
at disrupting crude oil theft and illegal refining.
The Navy said the continued operations had contributed to a
decline in the reactivation of illegal refining sites within the general area.
Although the naval team successfully identified and
deactivated the two sites, no arrest was made as the suspected operators fled
before the arrival of the personnel.
The Navy said the recovered products and other items found
at the sites were handled in line with established procedures for operations
against crude oil theft and illegal refining.
The latest operation, it added, was conducted under
Operation Delta Sentinel, an intelligence-led initiative aimed at disrupting
crude oil theft and illegal refining, protecting critical national assets and
safeguarding legitimate economic activities in Nigeria’s maritime and riverine
communities.
The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun
Folorunsho, said the Nigerian Navy would sustain its operations against
activities capable of undermining the nation’s oil industry and economic
interests.
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