The Nigerian Navy says it has dismantled an illegal refinery and intercepted a vessel carrying nearly 17,000 litres of suspected illegally refined petroleum products in the Niger Delta.
In a separate operation in Rivers State, the Navy also seized about 24,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and dismantled several sites allegedly used for crude oil theft.
The Navy spokesperson, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the seizures demonstrated the force’s commitment to disrupting illegal petroleum activities, preventing economic saboteurs from operating and protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure from criminal exploitation.
He said the Navy would continue to conduct intelligence-led operations to dismantle illegal refineries, combat crude oil theft and illegal petroleum trafficking, while protecting the marine environment and Nigeria’s economy.
Nigeria loses millions of barrels of crude oil annually to widespread oil theft, including illegal tapping of pipelines and the destruction of oil infrastructure across the Niger Delta.