Navy uncovers illegal refinery with 114,500 litres of petroleum products, arrests 10

The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a suspected illegal refining site containing approximately 114,500 litres of petroleum products in Rivers State, while arresting 10 suspected drug offenders in a separate joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Delta State.

The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the developments in a statement detailing the Navy’s recent operations against crude oil theft, illegal refining and illicit drug activities in the Niger Delta.

According to the statement, the illegal refining site was discovered on Thursday, October 15, 2026, while the joint anti-drug operation was conducted between October 14 and 15, 2026.

Navy discovers 23 illegal refining pits

Folorunsho explained that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH discovered the suspected illegal refining site in the Orashi Forest, Ogbogolo community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, following credible intelligence.

The statement said that credible information led naval personnel to the location, where several dugout pits containing suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products were uncovered.

• “The site contained five large dugout pits holding approximately 105,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, and 18 smaller pits containing about 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil,” the statement read.

Folorunsho added that the suspected operators fled upon sighting the naval personnel, while the recovered petroleum products were handled in accordance with established operational procedures.

In a separate operation, personnel of NNS DELTA and the NDLEA conducted coordinated raids on locations suspected to be used for the storage, sale and distribution of illicit drugs in Uvwie, Eboh Road, Jakpa Road, Ozuaka community, Orogun, Otokutu and Ughelli in Delta State.

• “The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 suspects and the recovery of substances suspected to include cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, cannabis, cannabis seeds, Colorado and other related exhibits,” the statement added.

The Navy confirmed that the suspects and recovered substances had been handed over to the NDLEA Warri Area Command for further investigation and necessary legal action.

Illegal refining persists despite Navy raids

Throughout 2026, the Nigerian Navy has recorded several recoveries of suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products across the Niger Delta, as security operations continue to target illegal refining networks in the region.

• Between January and March, the Navy deactivated 22 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 457,000 litres of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products under Operation Delta Sentinel.
• The operations covered major oil-producing states, including Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom, as part of efforts to disrupt illegal petroleum activities and protect critical oil infrastructure.
• However, subsequent discoveries indicate that illegal refining activities have persisted despite the intensified security operations.
• In July, Nairametrics reported that the Navy uncovered nine illegal refining sites comprising 23 dugout pits in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, with 18 of the pits containing approximately 104,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
• The discovery also included five newly excavated pits believed to have been prepared for illegal refining activities.

The following month, the Navy dismantled three suspected illegal refining sites in the Okolomade and Ogbogolo areas of Rivers State, recovering approximately 91,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

The August operation followed intelligence indicating that illegal refining activities had resumed in previously affected locations, highlighting the challenge of preventing operators from rebuilding dismantled facilities.

FG introduces new oil security framework

Beyond the Navy’s operations, the Federal Government has introduced additional security measures aimed at combating crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining activities that continue to threaten Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

• On October 12, 2026, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, unveiled a new security framework designed to strengthen the protection of oil infrastructure and improve coordination among organisations responsible for combating petroleum-related crimes.

Known as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry-Wide Security Architecture, the framework seeks to establish uniform security procedures, clarify operational responsibilities and strengthen collaboration among security agencies, private surveillance contractors and oil companies.

• The framework builds on existing security interventions, including Operation Delta Sentinel, which the Nigerian Navy launched in January 2026 as an intensified campaign against crude oil theft, illegal refining and pipeline vandalism across the Niger Delta.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has maintained compliance with its crude oil production quota set by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for five consecutive months, despite the continued discovery of illegal refining facilities.

According to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the country’s crude oil production increased to 1.53 million barrels per day in September 2026, compared with 1.50 million barrels per day in August.