Navy dismantles crude oil theft storage infrastructure in Rivers

The Nigerian Navy has prevented another attempt by crude oil theft syndicates to establish illegal storage infrastructure within the Bonny axis of Rivers.

The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, in an operational report on Monday in Abuja, said the operation was carried out by the Forward Operating Base, FOB, Bonny personnel under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.

According to Folorunsho, FOB Bonny personnel conducted a targeted anti-crude oil theft operation around Dema Abbey community in Bonny, leading to the discovery of seven concealed dugout pits strategically established within the area.

He said that preliminary assessment revealed that four of the dugout pits had been freshly excavated, while three contained water, indicating preparations to support crude oil theft activities.

“The discovery is consistent with recent operations in which similar concealed pits were found to have been used as temporary storage facilities for stolen crude oil prior to transportation to illegal refining sites.

“The newly excavated pits were subsequently dismantled in accordance with extant anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively denying criminal elements the infrastructure required to establish another crude oil storage hub within the Bonny operational area,” he said.

According to him, the operation reflects the navy’s proactive operational strategy of disrupting crude oil theft at its preparatory stage by targeting the infrastructure that enables illicit activities before it becomes functional.

“This preventive approach continues to weaken the logistics chain sustaining crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta,” he added.

The naval spokesperson reaffirmed the navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations to dismantle criminal infrastructure, deny economic saboteurs freedom of action, and safeguard Nigeria’s critical oil and gas assets in support of national economic security.