By Kazeem Waris
The Nigerian Navy has uncovered 31 dugout pits and illegal petroleum storage facilities containing an estimated 62,050 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined diesel in Rivers State, dealing another blow to oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta.
The operation, conducted on September 8, 2026, targeted two suspected illegal refining sites in Ogbogolo community, Ahoada West Local Government Area, where suspected oil thieves fled on sighting the naval team.
Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the operation on Saturday, saying personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh, operating under Operation Delta Sentinel, discovered the sites during an anti-crude oil theft operation.
According to him, the team uncovered 31 dugout pits containing approximately 58,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, alongside 4,050 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.
“The operation, conducted by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship Soroh, a unit under Operation Delta Sentinel, led to the discovery of 31 dugout pits containing about 58,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 4,050 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel,” Folorunsho said.
He added that the naval team recovered six sacks and one keg containing additional quantities of suspected illegally refined diesel.
The facilities were discovered within the Orashi Forest and the wider Ogbogolo area, locations targeted as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle illegal oil refining and storage networks.
Folorunsho said the sites were handled in accordance with extant regulations, but no arrests were made because the suspects escaped before they could be apprehended.
Navy intensifies crackdown on oil theft
The latest operation underscores the Navy’s sustained campaign against crude oil theft, illegal refining and other activities threatening Nigeria’s petroleum resources and economic interests.
According to Folorunsho, Operation Delta Sentinel has recorded several successful raids since its inception, disrupting illegal refining activities and denying perpetrators access to facilities used to process and store petroleum products.
He said the Navy remained committed to eliminating illegal refining operations across the Niger Delta and protecting the nation’s critical oil infrastructure.
The discovery of the 31 pits and the recovery of more than 62,000 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products highlight the scale of illicit activities that security agencies continue to confront in the oil-producing region.
The Navy said its operations would continue as part of broader efforts to safeguard national economic assets and curb crude oil theft.
