The Nigerian Navy has deactivated multiple illegal oil bunkering and refining sites in Rivers State and across the Niger Delta as part of its ongoing maritime security campaign, Operation Delta Sanity.
In a statement on Thursday, Navy spokesperson Commodore A. Adams-Aliu said the force recorded major operational gains in July 2025, dismantling dozens of illicit facilities and intercepting large volumes of stolen crude and refined petroleum products.
In Rivers State, six illegal refinery sites were shut down on July 4 in the Ogba, Egbema, and Ndoni areas. The sites included 40 dugout pits containing approximately 66,000 litres of suspected crude oil, 40 refining ovens, and 30 reservoirs storing 40,000 litres of illegally refined diesel (AGO).
Similar operations were carried out in Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom states, where a total of 71 illegal refinery sites and 120 dugout pits were dismantled. The Navy reported that the raids prevented the theft of 411,400 litres of crude oil, 87,825 litres of AGO, 72,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK), and 21,900 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)
On July 14, three suspects were arrested in Akwa Ibom while attempting to smuggle 2,500 litres of PMS to Cameroon via a wooden boat. Further arrests and seizures occurred in the Effiat and Okposo river corridors
Between July 22 and 23, two large illegal refinery sites were discovered in the Biseni area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, including a pond holding over 250,000 litres of stolen crude oil connected to a network of storage units
In Delta State, illegal refining hubs in Obodo Omadino, Oteghele, and Ugbokodo Creek were raided and destroyed, with tens of thousands of litres of stolen petroleum products recovered
Commodore Adams-Aliu credited the sustained successes to the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, and the commitment of personnel on the ground. He said the crackdown has contributed to increased oil production, with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) confirming national output now exceeds 1.8 million barrels per day
The Navy reiterated its commitment to securing Nigeria’s maritime domain, protecting national assets, and eliminating economic sabotage in the oil-rich region.
