The Nigerian Navy has foiled an attempted crude oil theft targeting critical oil infrastructure in Bonny, Rivers, reinforcing ongoing efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s strategic oil and gas assets from economic saboteurs.
The Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, said in an operational report on Thursday that the operation was conducted by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny under Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
According to the report, FOB Bonny personnel intercepted a fibre boat operating under suspicious circumstances near a wellhead close to the Renaissance African Energy Company Ltd. (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station.
The naval spokesperson said the occupants abandoned the boat and fled on sighting the patrol team, prompting a search that uncovered equipment commonly used for wellhead tampering and pipeline vandalism activities.
He said items recovered included a portable generator, cutting and grinding machines, chisels, spanners, cutlasses and other accessories believed to have been assembled to compromise the wellhead and siphon crude oil.
Adams-Aliu said follow-up operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies led to the arrest of one suspect linked to the attempted sabotage, while efforts continued to apprehend other members.
He added that the recovered fibre boat had been secured as part of ongoing investigations into the incident and the activities of the criminal network behind the operation.
According to him, the operation successfully prevented an attack on critical oil infrastructure, denying criminal elements the opportunity to cause economic losses and environmental damage through sabotage activities.
The naval spokesman reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at protecting critical national assets, combating crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism across Nigeria’s maritime domain.(NAN).
