Nigerian Navy has dismantled two illegal refining sites in Rivers State, recovering 56,800 litres of suspected stolen crude oil from facilities concealed in the Orashi Forest.
A statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the operation, conducted on Friday, November 13, covered two locations, Olodo and Okarki, in the Ogbogolo axis of Ahoada West Local Government Area.
He said personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, operating under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, carried out the exercise following credible intelligence on illegal refining activities in the area.
According to him, GPS records placed the first operation at Olodo at 11:53 a.m., with subsequent captures at Okarki at 12:18 p.m. and 1:04 p.m., showing that the exercise covered multiple locations within the forest.
Photographs from the operation showed naval personnel wading through swampy terrain to dismantle the facilities, including a metal refining oven partly buried in the forest.
The two sites contained one refining oven, 22 dugout pits and four sacks of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Naval spokesman said about 1,800 litres were recovered from the first site, while the second held an estimated 55,000 litres, bringing the total recovery to 56,800 litres.
He stressed that the recovered products and associated items were handled in line with established procedures for anti-crude oil theft operations, the Navy said.
Navy Captain Folorunsho described the operation as part of its sustained efforts to dismantle illegal refining infrastructure and disrupt crude oil theft networks, adding that it would maintain pressure on illegal refiners to protect national crude oil production and economic security.
