Nigerian Navy Seizes and Dismantles Illegal Petroleum Products Depot in Rivers State

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an illegal refined petroleum depot in Okrika, Rivers State, as part of its ongoing campaign against crude oil theft and illicit petroleum activities in the Niger Delta.

The raid was carried out by the Nigerian Navy Ship NNS Pathfinder under Operation Delta Sentinel, which targets economic saboteurs and illegal petroleum distribution networks.

During the operation, the Navy discovered a large storage facility linked to the distribution of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers State.

“During the raid, naval personnel uncovered a warehouse located around Okochiri Kingdom in Okrika Local Government Area containing 410 drums loaded with approximately 123,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO,” the Service said.

In a statement released yesterday, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director of Naval Information, said preliminary investigations indicated that the products were transported from illegal refining sites outside the community and stockpiled in the warehouse for onward distribution through illicit supply channels.

Folorunsho noted that the discovery highlighted a growing trend among illegal petroleum operators to shift from open refining camps to concealed storage and distribution systems in order to evade ongoing anti‑crude oil theft operations and sustain the black‑market fuel trade across the region.

He added that the products were handled in accordance with established anti‑crude oil theft procedures, and that further surveillance and assessments in the area are continuing.

The Navy also said that current operations under Operation Delta Sentinel remain focused on dismantling the logistics and supply networks that support crude oil theft, illegal refining, and illicit petroleum distribution throughout the Niger Delta.

Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding critical national assets, the Nigerian Navy stated it will continue intelligence‑driven operations to deny economic saboteurs freedom of operation within Nigeria’s maritime and littoral environment, in line with the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff.