Personnel of the Nigerian Navy attached to the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Escravos have shut down five illegal refining camps in the Niger Delta creeks, furthering ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other illicit activities in the region.
Speaking with journalists in Warri on Tuesday, the Commanding Officer of FOB Escravos, Navy Capt. Ikenna Okoloagu, said the “significant breakthroughs were recorded through a series of well-coordinated operations carried out over the last few days.”
He explained that, in addition to dismantling the illegal refining sites, naval operatives “recovered approximately 13,350 litres of stolen crude oil” from the perpetrators. According to him, the successes recorded under Operation Delta Sanity II were driven by reliable intelligence and align with the strategic mandate of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), who has directed continuous pressure on economic saboteurs.
Giving further details, Capt. Okoloagu noted that on November 5, 2025, operatives acting on actionable intelligence dismantled two illegal refining sites at Obodo Omadino in Warri South-West LGA, Delta State, where about 4,000 litres of stolen crude oil were found stored in 12 dugout pits.
He added that on November 14, another illegal site in the same area was destroyed, leading to the recovery of about 3,850 litres of stolen crude oil concealed in seven dugout pits and three polythene sacs. Furthermore, on November 19, two additional sites at Obodo Omadino were taken down, with officials recovering roughly 5,200 litres of stolen crude oil from 11 dugout pits.
Okoloagu reaffirmed the Navy’s resolve, stressing that FOB Escravos “remains fully committed to rooting out illegal refining operations and protecting Nigeria’s oil infrastructure from economic sabotage.”
He emphasized that these operations form part of wider national efforts to improve Nigeria’s crude oil production and clamp down on those undermining the country’s economic stability.
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