Navy recovers 1,600 litres of illegally refined diesel in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy has recovered about 1,600 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) during an operation in Rivers.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Sunday in Abuja.
On Sunday in Abuja, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho announced that personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH recovered the products during Operation DELTA SENTINEL, acting on intelligence regarding illegal refining.
The operation was carried out in the Okolomade Community within the Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, situated near the Bayelsa border.
Folorunsho explained that an Anti-Crude Oil Theft team was dispatched to the Orashi Forest, where aerial surveillance via an unmanned system located hidden sacks believed to hold illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
He confirmed that troops seized 16 sacks, each containing roughly 100 litres, amounting to a total recovery of approximately 1,600 litres of the illicit product.
According to him, the suspects fled on sighting naval personnel, while the recovered items were handled in line with operational procedures.
Folorunsho reiterated that there would be no safe haven for economic saboteurs, as sustained operations continue across the nation’s waterways and creeks.