Navy Recovers 17,000 Litres of Crude Oil From Illegal Storage Site in Delta

Personnel of the Nigerian Navy attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta have uncovered a concealed crude oil storage facility used by suspected oil thieves in the creeks of Delta State.

The discovery was made during an anti-crude oil theft operation code-named Delta Sentinel, following intelligence reports on suspected illegal activities around the Ugbokodo Creek area.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.

According to the statement, naval personnel, supported by aerial surveillance assets, initially conducted a search of the area but found no obvious signs of illegal activity.

However, further assessment of drone footage and aerial imagery revealed a large reservoir that had been deliberately concealed beneath leaves, wooden planks, logs and thick vegetation in an apparent attempt to evade detection by security agencies.

The naval team subsequently moved in to investigate the location and discovered a substantial quantity of suspected stolen crude oil.

“Subsequent exploitation of the site uncovered approximately 17,000 litres of product suspected to be stolen crude oil stored within the camouflaged reservoir,” the statement said.

Folorunsho noted that the site showed clear evidence of recent crude oil theft activities and appeared to serve as a temporary storage point within a larger illegal supply network operating in the Niger Delta region.

He explained that the discovery demonstrates the increasingly sophisticated methods being employed by criminal elements involved in crude oil theft and illegal refining operations.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy has continued to strengthen its operational capabilities through intelligence-driven missions and the deployment of advanced surveillance technologies.

“The discovery highlights the increasingly sophisticated concealment methods being adopted by criminal elements to sustain crude oil theft operations.

“However, the integration of intelligence-led operations and aerial surveillance capabilities continues to enhance the Nigerian Navy’s ability to detect and disrupt such illegal activities,” he stated.

The Navy added that the reservoir, recovered crude oil and other associated materials were processed in line with established operational procedures.

The operation forms part of ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Navy to combat crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other economic crimes in the Niger Delta, while protecting the nation’s oil assets and safeguarding government revenue from activities of economic saboteurs.