The Nigerian Navy, under the auspices of Operation *DELTA SANITY*, achieved significant success in its crackdown on illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta in October 2024. During various operations, the Navy destroyed multiple illegal refining sites and recovered substantial quantities of stolen crude oil. The operations, spanning across Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, and Ondo States, included the discovery of several illegal refinery sites, wooden boats laden with refined products, and other equipment used for illicit oil activities.
Key successes in October included:
– 8 October 2024: Destruction of 3 illegal refinery sites, 15 ovens, 12 reservoirs, and 5 dugout pits around Bakana River and Bukuma, with 12,000 liters of suspected stolen crude oil.
– 9 October 2024: Arrest of one suspect with a locally made pistol and ammunition, along with the discovery and destruction of 3 illegal refinery sites, 5 reservoirs, 2 ovens, and 2 boats carrying about 900 liters of suspected stolen crude oil in Bayelsa State.
– 11 October 2024: Destruction of 5 illegal refinery sites, 4 ovens, and 3 reservoirs around Warri South-West Local Government Area, with 4,000 liters of suspected stolen crude oil.
– 12 October 2024: Discovery and destruction of 2 illegal refinery sites, including 2 ovens and a dugout pit with stolen crude oil in Bayelsa, and another operation which seized 30 sacks of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Ondo State.
– 14 October 2024: Large-scale destruction in Rivers State, including 3 illegal refinery sites, 2 reservoirs, and 3 boats containing about 8,000 liters of illegally refined AGO.
– 21 October 2024: Discovery of 5 large wooden boats with approximately 48,300 liters of illegal AGO in Rivers State.
– 23 October 2024: Seizure of one illegal refinery site, 9 dugout pits, a fibre boat with 50,000 liters of stolen crude oil and 25,000 liters of illegal AGO in Delta State.
In total, the Navy destroyed 23 illegal refinery sites, seized 30 ovens, 26 reservoirs, 77 sacks, 19 dugout pits, 21 wooden boats, and recovered large quantities of stolen crude oil and AGO during various operations.
These efforts have contributed significantly to the security of Nigeria’s oil resources and the increase in the country’s crude oil production, which reached 1.8 million barrels per day (mbd) in October 2024, as announced by the NNPC CEO.
