Ten dugout pits were discovered in Allison Community, Bonny, with five containing suspected stolen crude oil and hoses used for its transfer

The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on illegal oil theft in Rivers State, discovering 10 dugout pits containing about 93,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil in Allison Community, Bonny Local Government Area, on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

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The operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base, Bonny, under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, following actionable intelligence about suspected illegal crude oil storage activities in the area.

Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said five of the 10 pits contained the suspected stolen crude, while the remaining five were filled with water.

He added that naval personnel also discovered a substantial quantity of hoses believed to have been used to move and transfer crude oil from the site.

“The operation led to the discovery of 10 dugout pits, five of which contained an estimated 93,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, while the remaining five pits were filled with water,” Folorunsho said.

The Navy said the recovered crude oil, dugout pits and associated materials were handled in line with established operational procedures.

According to Folorunsho, the intervention disrupted the infrastructure required to store and move stolen crude, potentially denying those behind the operation access to an important part of their illicit supply chain.

The latest discovery adds to a series of intelligence-led operations conducted by the Navy in Bonny and other parts of the Niger Delta.

In July, the Forward Operating Base, Bonny, uncovered another concealed storage network around Okpokiri Community and recovered about 39,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil from three dugout pits.

Earlier that month, naval personnel also discovered six dugout pits in Bethel Community, Bonny, with three containing approximately 20,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The repeated discoveries suggest that concealed pits remain an important part of the logistics supporting crude oil theft in the region, even as security agencies increase pressure on illegal refining and storage networks.

The Navy has also recorded recent operations beyond Bonny.

On August 16, naval personnel disrupted three illegal refining sites in the Egbema axis of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area and recovered approximately 85,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.

The broader campaign reflects an increasingly targeted approach towards the infrastructure supporting petroleum theft, rather than focusing solely on the interception of products in transit.

Folorunsho said the latest operation demonstrated the Navy’s continued commitment to identifying and disrupting networks involved in the exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources.

“It further demonstrates the service’s commitment to identifying and disrupting the networks that facilitate the illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources,” he said.

Crude oil theft remains a significant challenge for Nigeria’s oil-producing region, with illegal bunkering and refining also linked to environmental degradation, damage to petroleum infrastructure and losses across the oil value chain.

The Navy said it would sustain Operation DELTA SENTINEL as part of efforts to protect critical national assets, safeguard oil and gas infrastructure and restrict the activities of what it described as economic saboteurs.

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For the Bonny axis, the latest discovery represents another significant disruption of an illicit storage network, while the authorities continue efforts to prevent such facilities from being rebuilt.