The Nigerian Navy says it has destroyed about 17,500 litres of stolen crude oil in the Bonny area of River State.
The destruction which was carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, also saw the Navy destroying an illegal crude oil storage site within the Forward Operating Base (FOB) BONNY Area in Rivers State.
A statement signed by the Director Naval Information, Captain A A Folorunsho said the Operations were in line with directive from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
It noted that the ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft and illegal bunkering under Operation DELTA SENTINEL has begun to yield gains.
The statement noted that the naval unit leveraging the Nigerian Navy’s Maritime Surveillance technology, uncovered concealed dugout pits hidden beneath thick vegetation within creeks in the Opotumbi general area. “FOB BONNY elements moved swiftly to the site and discovered 4 x dug-out pits containing a cumulative 17,500 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil”, the statement said, adding that the recovered products were subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational guidelines.
It said the move demonstrates the Nigerian Navy’s renewed momentum in combating crude oil theft and maritime crimes, emphasising continuous patrols, enhanced surveillance, and inter-agency collaboration to protect critical national assets and Nigeria’s economic interests in Nigeria’s mar