The Nigerian Navy on Saturday 14 March 2026, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site in Okolomade Community, Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to a statement on sunday by AA Folorunsho, Captain (Nigerian Navy) Director Naval Information. Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, a task unit under Operation Delta Sentinel, acted on credible intelligence indicating that a previously deactivated illegal refining site had been reactivated.
Consequently, NNS SOROH deployed an Anti-Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team to the location, which discovered that “the previously dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.”
Further exploration of the area also led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Operation Delta Sentinel: Sustaining Fight Against Oil Theft
The illegal refining infrastructure, including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes, and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining activities, was subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational procedures.
“This success aligns with the recent directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering across the nation’s maritime domain,” the Navy emphasized.
The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL through intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling illegal refining networks and protecting Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure.
Operation Delta Sentinel sees Nigerian Navy destroy a reactivated illegal refinery in Rivers State, boosting efforts against crude oil theft nationwide.
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