By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft in Rivers.

This is contained in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Thursday in Abuja.

Folorunsho said that the development was part of ongoing operations under Operation Delta Sentinel, aimed at dismantling oil theft networks and protecting Nigeria’s economic assets.

He said that the crackdown had led to the Navy recording major operational successes with the recovery of over 1.2 million litres of stolen and illegally refined petroleum products in the state.

He explained that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, uncovered a major illegal refining site in Umoku, Ndoni area of Rivers.

According to him, the site contained about 708,000 litres of illegally refined petroleum products, including Automotive Gas Oil and Dual Purpose Kerosene, as well as 310,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

“The products are estimated at over ₦1.06 billion for refined products and about ₦288 million for crude oil.

“The site had numerous dugout pits and locally fabricated refining ovens used for processing stolen crude oil.

“The products were handled in line with extant procedures, while the perpetrators fled on sighting the patrol team.”

Folorunsho also said that the troops of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, supported by naval air assets, uncovered multiple illegal crude oil storage sites in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area.

He said that about 231,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, valued at over ₦215 million, were recovered from the sites.

He added that the products were concealed in dugout pits and connected to waterways through improvised distribution systems.

The naval spokesman said that the recent operations built on earlier successes recorded between January and March, during which over 457,000 litres of stolen petroleum products valued at more than ₦600 million were recovered.

He also highlighted maritime interdictions involving the arrest of three vessels, MT MKpodu, MT Westaf and MT Stelios K, carrying over 900 metric tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil.

According to him, the quantity translates to about 1.04 million litres valued at over ₦967 million.

“This convergence of inland disruption and maritime interdiction emphasises a deliberate multi-domain operational strategy.

“It is aimed at dismantling the entire crude oil theft value chain and protecting the nation’s oil and gas assets,” he said.

Folorunsho further said that the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, had approved a 90-day extension of Operation Delta Sentinel to sustain the operational tempo.

“The extension is to ensure sustained pressure on economic saboteurs and consolidate ongoing gains,” he added.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to safeguarding critical national infrastructure and protecting the country’s economic interests. (NAN)