The Nigerian Navy has recovered over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and deactivated an illegal refining facility in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The operation, announced on March 26 by the Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, was conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL. It comes just four days after the Navy intercepted about 44,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products and arrested eight suspects in the state, signaling a renewed crackdown on crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.
According to the Navy, the operation led to the discovery and shutdown of an active illegal refining site at Allison Community, where personnel recovered large quantities of stolen crude oil.
“The Nigerian Navy has recorded another operational success under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, with the deactivation of an active illegal refining site in Bonny and the recovery of over 20,000 litres of stolen crude oil,” the statement said.
The Navy stated that the operation forms part of broader efforts to curb oil theft, safeguard national economic interests, and support the Federal Government’s goal of achieving 2.5 million barrels of oil production per day this year.
Acting on credible intelligence, a patrol team from Forward Operating Base BONNY under the Eastern Naval Command identified the illegal site, which contained dugout pits, locally fabricated cooking and cooling systems, and sacks holding suspected stolen crude. Suspects reportedly fled upon seeing the naval team.
The announcement follows another operation three days earlier in the Degema/Ogbogoro/Ogbologo axis, where naval personnel also intercepted large volumes of illegally refined petroleum products, showing sustained enforcement across multiple hotspots in Rivers State.
Crude oil theft and illegal refining continue to challenge Nigeria’s oil sector. Data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission shows crude losses of about 37.6 million barrels in 2021, declining to roughly 4.1 million barrels in 2024. Between January and July 2025, losses stood at around 2.04 million barrels.
In recent years, the Nigerian Navy has intensified anti-theft operations, dismantling over 800 illegal refineries and recovering about 171,000 barrels of stolen crude over two years.
