The Nigerian Navy has shut down an illegal refining site at Allison Community in Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, recovering over 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
The operation, conducted under Operation Delta Sentinel, followed credible intelligence on illicit refining activities in the area, the Navy said in a statement yesterday. Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information (DINFO), confirmed the development.
He said personnel from the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, deployed an anti-crude oil theft patrol team that discovered the site, which contained dugout pits, locally fabricated cooking and cooling systems, and sacks filled with what is believed to be stolen crude oil.
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Further assessment showed more than 20,000 litres of suspected stolen crude stored at the facility. The illegal refining infrastructure was subsequently dismantled in line with operational procedures, while suspects fled on sighting the patrol team.
Folorunsho said the operation reflects the Navy’s sustained crackdown on crude oil theft and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
He added that the effort aligned with directives by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for intensified intelligence-driven operations to protect critical oil infrastructure and support the Federal Government’s target of increasing crude oil production to 2.5 million barrels per day.
