By Saminu Ibrahim
The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a warehouse containing about 10,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in the Eleme Express area of Rivers State.
The discovery was made on Saturday, September 12, 2026, by the NNS PATHFINDER during an anti-crude oil theft patrol of the Eleme–Okrika–Onne general area.
According to the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the suspected illegally refined product was stored in 400 jerrycans, each containing 25 litres.
Folorunsho said the location was suspected to be a storage and distribution point within the illicit petroleum supply chain, adding that no illegal refining site was found at the location.
He maintained that the operation disrupted a key link in the illegal petroleum trade by denying operators access to a facility used to accumulate and distribute illegally refined products to the market.
“The operation denied illicit operators a facility to accumulate and move illegally refined products to the market, thereby constraining the commercial network that sustains illegal refining activities,” he said.
The Navy said the recovered products were handled in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures.
“No arrest was made during the operation, as the suspected operators reportedly fled after sighting the naval patrol team” the statement added.
