The Nigerian Navy has intensified pressure on illegal petroleum networks operating within the Niger Delta following the discovery of a concealed fuel stockpile along the Rivers–Bayelsa border creek corridor.
The discovery was made during ongoing operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, after intelligence reports indicated suspicious movement of illegally refined petroleum products around Okarki Community waterside in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Naval spokesman, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, said personnel employed aerial surveillance, which exposed multiple sacks concealed within dense vegetation along the creek environment. Further exploitation of the location led to the recovery of approximately 3,800 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored in 38 sacks.
He said the operation highlights the growing reliance of illegal fuel networks on isolated creek corridors and concealed transit points to temporarily warehouse products before onward movement through illicit distribution channels.
Meanwhile, Folorunsho said the Navy has disrupted attempts by economic saboteurs to establish new illegal refining infrastructure within the Bonny axis of Rivers State following a targeted operation by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
He said the operation was initiated after intelligence reports indicated suspicious activities around the Promise Land area within Bonny Local Government Area. In response, an Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team conducted a coordinated reconnaissance mission across adjoining creeks and waterways to verify the threat.
“Aerial surveillance deployed during the operation exposed concealed refining equipment hidden beneath thick vegetation within the area. Subsequent ground assessment confirmed the existence of two newly constructed illegal refining sites strategically positioned close to the river channel.
“The sites contained improvised cooking installations, interconnected pipe networks, and support infrastructure believed to have been prepared for the processing and movement of illegally refined petroleum products through nearby waterways.”
Folorunsho said further assessment revealed that the operators were still in the early stages of establishing the camps, indicating an attempt to create a new refining cluster within the area before full-scale operations could commence.
He said that the refining sites were subsequently dismantled in line with operational procedures, while the location has been placed under continued monitoring for follow-up assessment and surveillance.
The operation, he said, reflects the Nigerian Navy’s increasing emphasis on proactive disruption of illegal refining infrastructure before criminal networks fully establish operational capacity. The focus is centred on identifying emerging hotspots, denying criminal expansion, and restricting the ability of oil theft syndicates to regenerate within the Niger Delta.
