By Saminu Ibrahim
The Nigerian Navy has uncovered about 182,000 litres of crude oil suspected to have been stolen at Bethel Creeks in Rivers State.
The discovery was made on Tuesday, by personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny during a follow-up operation based on actionable intelligence on suspicious activities in the creeks.
According to the Director of Naval Information, Navy Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation uncovered eight dugout pits, five of which contained the suspected stolen crude oil, while the remaining three were empty.
He said hoses used for the movement of crude oil were also discovered and handled in line with established procedures.
The latest operation came barely two weeks after FOB Bonny uncovered about 87,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at four newly activated illegal refining sites around Aworkiri on September 8.
The earlier operation also uncovered 19 dugout pits and associated infrastructure allegedly intended for the storage and handling of stolen crude oil.
Folorunsho said the successive discoveries underscored the Navy’s efforts to deny criminal operators access to the storage and transfer infrastructure needed to sustain crude oil theft.
He added that the latest operation would further constrain the availability of crude oil and supporting infrastructure for illegal exploitation in the area.
