Crime, News

Nigerian Navy Destroys Illegal Crude Oil Dump, Seizes 17,500 Litres in Rivers

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 13th, 2026.

Operatives of the Nigerian Navy have dismantled an illegal crude oil storage facility in the Bonny axis of Rivers State as part of ongoing efforts to curb oil theft in the Niger Delta.

The operation was carried out by personnel attached to the Navy’s Forward Operating Base in Bonny under the ongoing security mission known as Operation Delta Sentinel.

According to the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the naval team discovered four concealed dug-out pits within a creek area that were being used to store stolen crude oil.

He explained that the pits were strategically hidden beneath thick vegetation in the Opotumbi area, a tactic commonly used by oil thieves to evade detection.

Reports of the discovery were earlier circulated by several Nigerian media platforms. According to The Punch, naval operatives located the hidden facility during intensified surveillance operations aimed at dismantling illegal oil bunkering networks across the region.

Captain Folorunsho disclosed that the pits contained an estimated 17,500 litres of products suspected to be illegally siphoned crude oil.

He noted that the operation followed renewed directives from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, ordering stronger enforcement actions against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes threatening Nigeria’s economic assets.

After securing the site, naval personnel destroyed the recovered products in line with established operational procedures.

Further reports by The Guardian Nigeria indicated that the operation forms part of a broader crackdown by security agencies to disrupt criminal activities that have long plagued Nigeria’s oil-producing communities.

Folorunsho said the Nigerian Navy had stepped up patrols, intelligence gathering, and technological surveillance in waterways across the Niger Delta to track down illegal refining sites and storage locations used by oil theft syndicates.

He added that the success of the operation highlights the Navy’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime resources and strengthening economic security.

Oil theft and illegal bunkering have remained a major challenge in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, costing the country billions of naira in lost revenue annually.

Security analysts say sustained collaboration between military units, intelligence agencies, and host communities will be critical to dismantling the networks behind crude oil theft in the region.

The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed that operations under Operation Delta Sentinel will continue across strategic waterways in order to safeguard national assets and deter criminal activities within Nigeria’s maritime environment.