The Nigerian Navy has intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta following the discovery of reactivated refining camps in the Ndoni area of Rivers.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by the Navy spokesperson, Abiodun Folorunsho.

According to the statement, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship PATHFINDER, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, carried out the operation targeting facilities allegedly used for illegal refining activities.

The Navy said the camps were believed to have resumed operations despite previous enforcement actions in the area.

During the raid, naval personnel reportedly uncovered several dugout pits and storage facilities containing large volumes of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

Preliminary assessments, according to the statement, indicated that about 184,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products were stored within the refining cluster.

The Navy further revealed that criminal groups continue to exploit abandoned oil infrastructure to sustain illegal production and distribution networks across the region.

It noted that oil theft syndicates increasingly rely on interconnected supply, storage, and distribution systems designed to evade security operations and resume activities after earlier disruptions.

The statement explained that ongoing operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL are focused on dismantling the support structures enabling illegal refining and denying criminal networks the operational space required to sustain illicit activities in the Niger Delta.

The illegal refining sites and recovered products were subsequently destroyed in line with operational procedures, while surveillance and follow-up operations in the area remain ongoing.

The Navy reaffirmed its commitment to protecting critical national assets and sustaining coordinated operations aimed at securing Nigeria’s maritime environment against economic sabotage. (Nigerian Tribune)