Navy uncovers 40,000-litre illegal refinery in Rivers, arrests three

Scene of the 40, 000 capacity illegal refinery busted by the Naval personnel and Federal Government Special Taskforce on Petroleum Theft at Bonny Island in Rivers State.

A joint operation by the Nigerian Navy and the Federal Government Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Theft has uncovered a 40,000-litre-capacity illegal refinery in Bonny Island, Rivers State.

The authorities said the illegal refinery was hidden deep within the creeks in Bonny.

The operation followed actionable intelligence coordinated through the Joint Intelligence Monitoring Team, involving personnel from several security and intelligence agencies.

Speaking to newsmen in Bonny on Friday afternoon, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Captain Stanley Umeh, described the discovery as the biggest his team had made since he assumed control of the command in March 2026.

Umeh said Navy gunboats departed Bonny carrying operatives into the creeks, where the team trekked through dense vegetation before arriving at the clandestine facility.

“This discovery here is a product of long-time synergy between the base and other security agencies within the island and outside. It has been a product of actionable intelligence over time,” he stated.

Umeh explained that unlike many illegal refineries previously encountered, where crude had already been deposited or processed, the latest discovered facility was still at a preparatory stage.

“Most times we go, we see illegal refineries with pits and crude deposited inside. Some have already cooked, and some are yet to be cooked. But this discovery is like nipping the act in the bud.

“This is their preparatory stage. You could see from the build-up and the set-up of the illegal refinery, it’s meant to be a very big one that would see the siphoning or stealing of crude and brought here for cooking in large quantity,” he said.
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Umeh said the discovery was a major boost to the fight against crude oil theft aimed at increasing Nigeria’s crude oil production.

“This discovery is a plus to the fight against crude oil theft in Nigeria, towards increasing the production or crude sales production in the country,” he said.

The Navy commander also assured residents that the force would intensify surveillance and patrols across the waterways and remote areas of Bonny.

“It’s been a zero tolerance for us, both in and out of the waters. It’s been zero tolerance for this kind of illegalities within Bonny Local Government Area generally,” Umeh said.

While acknowledging the difficulty of detecting facilities concealed in thick vegetation, he said the Navy would expand its land and water surveillance operations.

“We will continue to raid and make sure they have no hiding places. It is a zero tolerance,” Umeh said, adding that the operation was in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic directive on crude oil theft.

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Scene of the 40, 000 capacity illegal refinery busted by the Naval personnel and Federal Government Special Taskforce on Petroleum Theft at Bonny Island in Rivers State.

Also speaking, the Head of Investigation of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Theft, Omar John Sini, said the discovery was the result of collaboration between intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies.

Sini said the task force, inaugurated by the Federal Government on March 1, 2025, was established to investigate and prosecute illicit activities in the country’s hydrocarbon sector.

“Since inception to now, we’ve been able to secure at least 137 convictions, and that is largely responsible for the drop in the illicit activities in the hydrocarbon sector,” Sini said.

He attributed the latest operation to intelligence supplied by the Joint Intelligence Monitoring Team, led by Major General A.A. Idris under the supervision of the Chief of Defence Staff.

Sini explained that the intelligence team comprises personnel from several agencies, while the Special Prosecution Team focuses primarily on investigation and prosecution.

He continued, “It is this sync that gave rise to this identity. As we were working as a team with them, by sheer providence, the commander, my elder brother here beside me, was also working.

“So you can imagine that when we put these two teams together, without no time, we deploy relevant technology, identify and track this location.”

He further said the objective was not merely to react to oil theft after it occurs but to disrupt criminal operations before they become fully operational.

“The primary purpose of law enforcement is to detect crime. We don’t even want it to occur so that we don’t be reactive, we want to be preventive,” he explained.

According to him, three suspects linked to the financing of the operation in the area are already in custody.

“We’ve been able to detect, we allowed them to invest their money, their hard-earned resources, and they’ve built this refinery with an amount that would be running into millions of Naira.

“What we will do after now is that we are going to treat this place in accordance with extant laws, afterwards face and prosecute the culprits because we already have three suspects in custody that are associated with the financing of this typology of crime in this axis.

“We have already approached the court of law to apply for relevant order,” Sini stated.

He, however, called for stronger sentencing provisions for petroleum theft offences, saying existing penalties do not always provide sufficient deterrence.

Dennis Naku

Dennis Naku is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with approximately 19 years of professional experience. He has previously worked with Champion Newspapers and National Mirror Newspaper, reporting across multiple beats. His work reflects extensive newsroom experience and a commitment to professional journalism practice.

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