THE Nigerian Navy has warned crude oil thieves and other criminals that there is no hiding place for them in Nigeria’s waterways, even as it described those behind crude oil theft and illegal refining as “sophisticated” and “coordinated” syndicates.
News Point Nigeria reports that the warning came as the Navy disclosed that it had discovered three suspected illegal refining sites, six reservoirs and approximately 99,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) in Rivers and Delta states.
The Director, Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the latest discoveries represented a significant operational gain in the Navy’s sustained fight against crude oil theft and illegal refining, stressing that the service would intensify efforts to deny criminal networks the infrastructure required to operate.
Folorunsho spoke on Thursday during his appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, hours after the Nigerian Navy announced the recovery of the suspected stolen crude oil and illegally refined AGO.
He said crude oil thieves operating on a large scale could not be described as “petty thieves”, noting that stealing crude oil in metric tonnes required significant resources, logistics and coordination.
“These syndicates are very, very coordinated and very, very sophisticated. You don’t steal crude at that scale without some wherewithal to be able to make it happen,” Folorunsho said.
“I mean, when you’re talking about metric tonnes, you’re talking about ships, and you know what it takes to operate at sea. It’s not something that you just come by on the road.
“So yes, you’re right. But again, when you look at the reward for a successful heist, you would understand why people will band together; people will invest in stuff like this to ensure that they’re able to take some of these for themselves.”
The Nigerian Navy had, in a statement on Wednesday, announced the discovery of three suspected illegal refining sites, six reservoirs and approximately 99,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
The products were recovered during separate operations in the Navy’s operational areas in Rivers and Delta states. The operations, according to the Navy, also uncovered illegal refining infrastructure, including a large refining oven, storage facilities and dugout reservoirs containing suspected stolen crude oil.
Reacting further to the development, the Nigerian Navy vowed to intensify its fight against crude oil theft and other crimes in the country’s waterways.
Folorunsho warned that the country’s waterways would be too hot for crude oil thieves and other criminal elements seeking to perpetuate their activities.
“The message from the Nigerian Navy is: there is no hiding place with our maritime surveillance equipment and with the sustained drive under the directive of the incumbent Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas,” he said.
“I just wish to tell them—I mean these criminal elements that want to come to perpetuate these crimes—their days are numbered, and if we catch you, of course, we’ll ensure that you face the law,” he said on Thursday’s edition of the Channels Television breakfast show.
He said the Federal Government had invested more in equipping the Nigerian Navy, particularly through the acquisition of sophisticated maritime surveillance equipment, making it increasingly difficult for criminals to operate within Nigeria’s waterways.
“The Nigerian Navy has, over the years, due to some painstaking investments by the Federal Government, acquired some of the finest maritime surveillance equipment,” Folorunsho said.
“It’s almost impossible for you to operate in Nigerian waters and well within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without us being able to see you.
“So it is making it almost impossible for these guys to just carry very large vessels and go out there. Whenever they start, we see them and immediately intercept to make sure that it’s unsuccessful.”
The Director of Naval Information said the sustained investment and operational drive had strengthened the Navy’s ability to detect and disrupt criminal activities across the maritime domain.
He reiterated that there was no “hiding place” for oil thieves and other criminal elements because of the surveillance capabilities now available to the service.
“But again, the message from the Nigerian Navy is: there is no hiding place with our maritime surveillance equipment and with the sustained drive under the directive of the incumbent Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas,” Folorunsho said.
“I just wish to tell each one of them—I mean these criminal elements that want to come to perpetuate these crimes—their days are numbered, and if we catch you, of course, we’ll ensure that you face the law.”
The latest operations, the Navy said, demonstrate its ability to maintain pressure on criminal networks across multiple operational areas while denying them access to the infrastructure needed to sustain crude oil theft and illegal refining.
The Navy also said the identified sites, facilities and recovered products were handled in accordance with established procedures, reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas resources and safeguarding the country’s economic interests.