The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an illegal fuel storage and distribution site in Rivers State and recovered about 13,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil during an operation in Bonny Local Government Area. The raid highlights the scale of illicit refining in the Niger Delta, where thousands of makeshift sites have contributed to widespread pollution and heavy losses for Nigeria’s oil industry.
The operation was carried out by personnel of Forward Operating Base Bonny under Operation Delta Sentinel, according to a statement posted Thursday on X by Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information. He said the mission was part of a coordinated push involving multiple security agencies to disrupt criminal networks that siphon crude oil and refine it in remote creeks.
The Navy said operatives uncovered a clandestine petroleum storage and distribution hub containing large‑capacity tanks, reservoirs, drums, hoses and other equipment used to process and move illicit fuel. Officials said the site appeared to be part of a wider supply chain that feeds black‑market distribution routes across the region.
Folorunsho said the facility was believed to have supported criminal networks involved in the illegal petroleum trade, a persistent threat to Nigeria’s oil sector and national revenue. Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to crude oil theft, according to government estimates, weakening national finances and undermining investment in the energy sector.
He said investigations were underway to identify individuals linked to the operation and determine whether suspects fled before the raid. Authorities are also assessing whether the site was connected to other illegal refining camps recently dismantled in Rivers and Bayelsa states.
The Navy described the discovery as part of a broader campaign to disrupt crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta. Officials say such operations weaken national energy infrastructure, fuel environmental degradation and damage pipelines that are costly to repair.
Environmental experts warn that illegal refining sites contribute to severe pollution, including oil‑soaked waterways and toxic emissions that affect nearby communities. The Navy said these impacts underscore the urgency of sustained enforcement and stronger collaboration with local authorities.
The Navy said it would continue targeted patrols and intelligence‑driven missions across the region to dismantle illegal refining sites and protect Nigeria’s oil and gas assets, adding that more operations are planned as security forces track emerging smuggling routes.
