The Nigerian Navy has deactivated five illegal refining sites in the creeks of the Niger Delta as part of ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other illicit activities undermining the nation’s oil economy.
The operations were carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Escravos, according to the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Ikenna Okoloagu, who briefed journalists on Tuesday in Warri.
Okoloagu said the latest raids resulted in the seizure of 13,350 litres of stolen crude oil, discovered across 30 dugout pits and three polythene sacks at different locations in the creeks.
He described the operations as “significant successes” achieved through a series of coordinated, intelligence-driven missions conducted over the past few days.
“These achievements, recorded under Operation Delta Sanity II, align with the Strategic Directives of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, which emphasise sustained pressure on economic saboteurs,” he said.
Operations Breakdown
The Commanding Officer provided a timeline of the recent breakthroughs:
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5 November 2025: Navy operatives, acting on actionable intelligence, dismantled two illegal refining sites at Obodo Omadino in Warri South-West LGA of Delta State. About 4,000 litres of stolen crude were recovered from 12 dugout pits.
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14 November 2025: Another site in Obodo Omadino was deactivated, leading to the recovery of 3,850 litres stored in seven dugout pits and three polythene sacs.
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19 November 2025: Two additional sites at the same location were dismantled, with 5,200 litres of stolen crude recovered from 11 dugout pits.
Okoloagu said the FOB Escravos remains resolute in its mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure and dismantle networks involved in illegal refining.
“These operations are part of ongoing efforts to boost Nigeria’s daily crude oil output and combat economic sabotage,” he added.