The Nigerian Navy has sustained its operational tempo under Operation Delta Sentinel with the interception of a consignment of illegally refined petroleum products in Rivers State.

This is contained in a statement by the director of naval information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Folorunsho said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER, acting on credible intelligence, deployed an Anti-Crude Oil Theft patrol team to the Abua-Odual and Ogbologo general areas for the operation.

He said the team, during the patrol, intercepted two wooden boats laden with about 15,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

“On sighting the naval patrol, the suspected perpetrators abandoned the boats and fled into the surrounding creeks to evade arrest,” he said.

Mr Folorunsho said the intercepted boats and products were subsequently secured and handled in line with established operational procedures.

He added that the successful operation highlighted the Navy’s resolve to disrupt illegal oil bunkering and other maritime crimes within the nation’s waterways.

The naval spokesman reaffirmed that the operation aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to intensify intelligence-driven missions.

He reiterated its commitment to sustaining Operation Delta Sentinel to safeguard Nigeria’s critical oil infrastructure and economic interests. 

(NAN)