By Prince Woke
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder over the weekend deactivated five illegal refining sites and recovered large quantities of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
This was contained in a statement issued Sunday night by the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Cajethan Aniaku, who confirmed that the operations were carried out on June 14, 2025.
Commodore Aniaku said the action was part of ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft and illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region. He noted that following credible intelligence, the Tactical Riverine Assault Squadron Team of NNS Pathfinder deployed personnel and assets to the area, where they uncovered a newly activated illegal refining site.
During the raid, the team discovered five illegal refining camps containing 62 ovens, 21 reservoirs, and 55 dugout pits filled with an estimated 50,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil. Approximately 83,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and 20,000 litres of illegally refined kerosene were also recovered.
All recovered products were handled according to standard procedures for anti-crude oil theft operations. The statement added that no arrests were made, as the suspects fled the scene on sighting the naval patrol team.
Commodore Aniaku reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to sustaining aggressive operations to dismantle illegal refining sites and curb oil theft across the region.
