Oil Theft Crackdown: Nigerian Navy Destroys Refinery, Arrests Dozens

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Nigerian Navy says it has destroyed an illegal oil refinery and arrested 37 suspected illegal miners during separate operations in the Niger Delta.

The actions were carried out under Operation Delta Sentinel, a security campaign aimed at tackling crude oil theft and other illicit activities in the region.

According to the statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Folorunsho, the personnel from NNS Pathfinder discovered an illegal refinery site during an anti–crude oil theft patrol around the Ojekiri area in Rivers State.

The site which was located along the Alakiri River and contained about 10 dug-out pits holding an estimated 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil. The refinery and its contents weredestroyed in line with operational procedures, while suspected operators reportedly fled the scene when naval personnel arrived.

In a separate operation, a patrol team from NNS Soroh arrested 37 suspected illegal miners at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Officials said the suspects were caught attempting to transfer black sand from a wooden boat into two trucks waiting at the jetty. Black sand mining has been banned by the Bayelsa State government.

The suspects, along with the trucks, boat and recovered minerals, were handed over to Operation Doo-Akpo for further investigation.

The operations follow a directive by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, ordering naval units to intensifyefforts against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage across Nigeria’s maritime environment.

The Navy has said they will continue to use intelligence and technology to sustain operations aimed at protecting the country’s oil infrastructure and economic assets.