General
Navy Recovers Over 100,000 Litres of Fuel from Illegal Refineries in Rivers
By Adedapo Adesanya
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder have dismantled five new illegal refining sites in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
It was disclosed that the sites used for illegal bunkering activities in the area had 62 ovens, 21 reservoirs and 55 dugout pits containing approximately 50,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, 83,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and 20,000 litres of illegally refined kerosene.
The Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Cajethan Aniaku, in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, disclosed that the operation against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities at ONELGA was conducted on June 14, 2025, by NNS Pathfinder’s Tactical Riverine Assault Squadron Team.
According to him, “On June 14, 2025, the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder successfully conducted an operation against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities within the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni general area.
“The NNS Pathfinder’s Tactical Riverine Assault Squadron Team, acting on credible intelligence, deployed personnel and assets to conduct anti-crude oil theft and illegal bunkering operations within the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni general area.”
The Commander explained that during the operation, the team discovered a newly activated illegal refining site.
According to him, “The team identified and dismantled 5 illegal refining sites with 62 ovens, 21 reservoirs and 55 dugout pits containing approximately 50,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, 83,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO and 20,000 litres of illegally refined kerosene.”
“The products were handled in accordance with anti-crude oil theft procedures. No arrests were made as the perpetrators fled upon sighting the patrol team,” he added.
Commodore Aniaku has, however, restated that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, remains committed to combating crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities, which he noted pose significant threats to the nation’s economy and energy security.
