Navy Thwarts Oil Theft, Destroys Seven Concealed Storage Pits

The operation, carried out under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, saw personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny uncover seven concealed dugout pits believed to have been prepared for the illegal storage of stolen crude oil within the Dema Abbey Community in Bonny Local Government Area.

In a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Abiodun Ayo-Vaughan Folorunsho, the Navy said the intelligence-led operation was part of its sustained efforts to disrupt crude oil theft networks operating across the Niger Delta.

According to the statement, four of the dugout pits had been freshly excavated, while the remaining three contained water, an indication that the facilities were being prepared to support crude oil theft operations.

The Navy explained that similar concealed pits discovered during previous operations had served as temporary storage points where stolen crude oil was stockpiled before being transported to illegal refining sites.

Following the discovery, all the newly excavated pits were dismantled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures, effectively preventing the criminals from establishing another illegal crude oil storage hub within the Bonny operational area.

The Navy noted that the operation underscores its evolving strategy of targeting the logistics and infrastructure that sustain crude oil theft rather than waiting for illegal activities to become fully operational.

It added that by dismantling such facilities at the preparatory stage, the Service continues to weaken the supply chain that fuels crude oil theft and illegal refining activities, which have long undermined Nigeria's oil production and national revenue.

The Nigerian Navy reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, stressing that it would continue to identify and destroy criminal infrastructure, deny economic saboteurs operational freedom, and safeguard the nation's critical oil and gas assets in support of economic security.