By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Nigerian Navy has sustained its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal refining operations in the Niger Delta with the discovery and destruction of reactivated refining camps in Ndoni, Rivers State.
The operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER under the ongoing Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeting facilities suspected to have resumed illicit activities despite previous enforcement measures in the area.
During the raid, naval operatives uncovered several dugout pits and makeshift storage facilities containing large quantities of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). Initial estimates showed that about 184,000 litres of petroleum products were stored within the illegal refining sites.
Investigations also revealed that criminal syndicates continue to exploit abandoned oil installations and improvised infrastructure to maintain illegal refining and distribution activities across the region.
The discovery underscored the persistence and adaptability of oil theft networks, which often rebuild and reactivate operations after enforcement actions. It also highlights the Nigerian Navy’s intensified efforts to dismantle the wider logistics and support systems sustaining economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
Under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, current naval operations are focused not only on destroying illegal refining camps, but also on disrupting the interconnected supply chains, storage hubs, and transport channels that enable criminal networks to operate.
Following the operation, the illegal refining sites and recovered products were destroyed in line with operational guidelines, while surveillance and follow-up activities in surrounding areas continue.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding critical national assets and maintaining sustained operations to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain and littoral communities against crude oil thieves and other economic saboteurs.
