The Nigerian Navy stopped two illegal refineries and found about 58,000 litres of goods that look like stolen crude oil and illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO) in Rivers State.
Recently, the Nigerian Navy ship NNS PATHFINDER carried out the operation, part of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, at Okarki Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area.
Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information, said the operation followed intelligence about crude oil theft and illegal refining in the area.
He said the naval team found nine dugout pits, storage containers and sacks that held goods suspected of being stolen oil and illegally refined petroleum.
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Folorunsho said the operation broke the facilities that oil thieves used to store and process stolen petroleum, cutting off part of the supply chain that supports refining in the community.
However, no suspect was taken into custody as those running the sites ran away before the naval team arrived.
The Navy said the two illegal refining sites and the recovered products were handled according to established procedures for fighting crude oil theft.
The operation is part of the Navy’s work under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to stop crude oil theft and illegal refining in Nigeria’s oil‑producing communities.
The Navy said these operations are still needed to break up activities that take petroleum from the country and cause damage in the affected communities.
