Uche Cecil Izuora
The Nigerian Navy has intensified efforts to disrupt the operational cycle sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta, following the discovery of reactivated refining camps in Ndoni area of Rivers State.
The operation, conducted by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, targeted criminal infrastructure believed to have resumed activities after earlier enforcement actions within the area.
At the site, naval personnel uncovered a network of dugout pits and storage locations containing large volumes of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO). Preliminary assessment indicated that approximately 184,000 litres of product were stored across the illegal refining cluster.
Findings from the operation further revealed the continued exploitation of abandoned oil infrastructure by criminal elements to sustain illegal production and distribution networks within the region.
The latest development highlights the evolving pattern of reactivation tactics employed by oil theft syndicates and reinforces the need for sustained pressure against economic sabotage across the Niger Delta.
Rather than isolated criminal activity, illegal refining operations increasingly rely on interconnected supply, storage, and distribution systems designed to evade enforcement and regenerate after previous disruptions. Current operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL are therefore focused on systematically dismantling these support structures and denying criminal networks the operational environment required to sustain illicit activities.
The illegal refining sites and recovered products were subsequently neutralised in accordance with operational procedures, while surveillance and follow-on operations within the general area remain ongoing.
The Nigerian Navy remains committed to protecting critical national assets and sustaining coordinated operations aimed at securing the nation’s maritime and littoral environment from economic saboteurs.