The Nigerian Navy has destroyed an illegal crude oil storage site within the Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY Area of Operations in Rivers State.
The Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
“Following the directive from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Nigerian Navy has intensified its efforts under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
“As part of ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft and illegal bunkering under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, the Nigerian Navy has destroyed an illegal crude oil storage site within the Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY Area of Operations in Rivers State,” the statement said.
It explained that the unit, leveraging the Nigerian Navy’s Maritime Surveillance technology, uncovered concealed dugout pits hidden beneath thick vegetation within creeks in the Opotumbi general area.
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“FOB BONNY elements moved swiftly to the site and discovered 4 x dug-out pits containing a cumulative 17,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil.”
It added that the recovered products were subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational guidelines.
“This move demonstrates the Nigerian Navy’s renewed momentum in combating crude oil theft and maritime crimes, emphasising continuous patrols, enhanced surveillance, and inter-agency collaboration to protect critical national assets and Nigeria’s economic interests in Nigeria’s maritime environment,” it said.
Over the years, Nigeria has recorded a surge in pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft incidents in its oil-producing region, a development that worsened the nation’s revenue challenge.
Security agents have frequently discovered illegal refining sites in the country’s oil-producing region.
