By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Nigerian Navy has sustained its offensive against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta with the disruption of newly established refining camps in the Bonny axis of Rivers State.
The operation, carried out by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, followed actionable intelligence on suspicious movements around the Promise Land area in Bonny Local Government Area.
Acting on the intelligence, an Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team launched a coordinated reconnaissance mission across adjoining creeks and waterways to assess the reported activities and prevent the establishment of illegal refining operations within the area.
During the operation, aerial surveillance identified concealed refining equipment hidden under dense vegetation. A subsequent ground operation confirmed the presence of two newly constructed illegal refining camps strategically located close to the river channel.
The camps were found to contain locally fabricated cooking pots, interconnected pipes, and other support infrastructure suspected to have been assembled for the processing and transportation of illegally refined petroleum products through nearby waterways.
Preliminary assessment further revealed that the operators were still in the process of developing the camps, suggesting a deliberate attempt to create a fresh illegal refining hub before full operational activities could begin.
In line with operational procedures, the illegal refining sites were dismantled, while the surrounding environment has been placed under sustained surveillance to prevent any reactivation or relocation of the criminal infrastructure.
The latest operation highlights the Nigerian Navy’s proactive strategy of identifying and neutralising illegal refining camps at their formative stage in order to deny economic saboteurs the opportunity to build sustainable operational networks within the Niger Delta.
Operation DELTA SENTINEL continues to focus on intelligence-driven interdictions aimed at curbing crude oil theft, disrupting illicit petroleum supply chains, and safeguarding critical national assets across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining coordinated operations against economic sabotage and ensuring the protection of the nation’s oil infrastructure and coastal environment.
