Nigerian Navy Seizes 531,500L of Illicit Fuel in 183 Q1 Operations
The Nigerian Navy says it carried out 183 missions under Operation Delta Sentinel between January and March. Officers recovered 531,500 litres of illegally refined petroleum and arrested 18 suspects linked to oil theft and maritime crimes. February saw the highest haul at 360,700 litres, followed by 118,800 litres in January and 52,000 litres in March. Key incidents included a 45,000-litre seizure in Rivers State, the interception of an 18-tonne barge, and the discovery of a 96,000-litre illegal wellhead in Bayelsa. In March, operations intensified around Warri South-West, Oteghele Creek and the Ogbia/Egbema/Ndoni axis. Crews recovered another 45,000 litres at Alakiri River and 44,000 litres of AGO at Ogbologo, detaining eight suspects. The Navy also destroyed 12 illegal refineries, four storage sites, three vessels and two pipeline connections. Officials noted a drop in the market value of stolen oil, reflecting the growing impact of intelligence-driven patrols. They reaffirmed their commitment to safeguard Nigeria’s maritime domain under the Chief of Naval Staff’s directives.
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