A joint operation involving the Nigerian Navy and the Federal Government Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Theft has uncovered a 40,000-litre-capacity illegal refinery concealed in the creeks of Bonny Island, Rivers State
The facility was discovered following intelligence coordinated through the Joint Intelligence Monitoring Team, which comprises personnel from various security and intelligence agencies.
Speaking to journalists in Bonny on Friday, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Captain Stanley Umeh, described the discovery as the biggest made by his team since he assumed command in March 2026.
According to him, naval gunboats transported the operatives into the creeks, after which they trekked through thick vegetation before reaching the hidden refinery.
“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 said the facility was yet to commence full operations, unlike several illegal refineries previously discovered with crude oil already stored or processed.
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