The Nigerian Navy has destroyed an illegal oil refinery and arrested 37 suspected illegal miners during a series of operations in the Niger Delta.
According to its statement on Sunday, the crackdown, conducted under the ongoing Operation Delta Sentinel, targeted sites in Rivers and Bayelsa States as part of an intensified effort to curb economic sabotage in the region.
In Rivers State, a patrol team from NNS Pathfinder discovered an illegal refining site along the Alakiri River in the Ojekiri general area.
The statement added that the site contained 10 dugout pits holding approximately 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
It also confirmed that the site and the crude oil were destroyed on-site in accordance with extant operational procedures, though the suspects fled the scene upon the arrival of personnel.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Bayelsa State, personnel from NNS Soroh intercepted an illegal mining ring at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa.
Acting on intelligence regarding a state government ban on black sand mining, officials arrested 37 suspects who were allegedly transferring mineral resources from a wooden boat into two waiting trucks.
The suspects, along with the trucks, the boat, and the recovered black sand, have been handed over to the Bayelsa State security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo, for further investigation.
The Nigerian Navy stated that these operational successes follow a recent directive from the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for all naval units to escalate actions against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering.
The statement read:
"PRESS STATEMENT
"OPERATION DELTA SENTINEL: NIGERIAN NAVY DESTROYS ILLEGAL REFINERY SITE, ARRESTS 37 SUSPECTED ILLEGAL MINERS IN NIGER DELTA
"The Nigerian Navy has recorded further operational successes under Operation DELTA SENTINEL since intensifying its crackdown on crude oil theft and other illegal activities in the Niger Delta region.
"In a separate operation, personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER and Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH disrupted illegal oil refining activities and arrested suspected illegal miners in Rivers and Bayelsa States, respectively.
"During an Anti-Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) patrol around the Ojekiri general area in Rivers State, the patrol team from NNS PATHFINDER discovered an illegal refinery site along the Alakiri River containing about 10 dugout pits cumulatively laden with approximately 45,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
"The site and the stored crude oil were subsequently destroyed in accordance with extant operational procedures, while the suspected perpetrators fled the scene upon sighting the naval personnel.
"In a related development, a patrol team from NNS SOROH, acting on credible intelligence and in compliance with the Bayelsa State Government's directive prohibiting black sand mining, arrested 37 suspected illegal miners at Anyama Jetty in Yenagoa.
"The suspects were apprehended while attempting to transfer an unspecified quantity of black sand from a wooden boat into two trucks waiting at the jetty.
"The arrested suspects, along with the trucks, the wooden boat, and the recovered mineral resources, were subsequently handed over to Operation DOO‑AKPO, the Bayelsa State security outfit, for further investigation.
"These operational successes have coincided with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, for naval formations and units to intensify operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage across Nigeria's maritime environment.
"The Nigerian Navy is committed to sustaining the momentum of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, leveraging intelligence and technology to drive operations to safeguard Nigeria's critical national assets and economic interests in collaboration with relevant stakeholders."