The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a warehouse containing about 10,000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined diesel during an anti-crude oil theft operation in Rivers State.
The discovery was made on Saturday by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER during a patrol of the Eleme–Okrika–Onne general area of the state.
The Navy spokesman, Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, saying the warehouse was uncovered around the Eleme Express area of Rivers State.
According to him, the suspected illegally refined product was stored in 400 jerrycans, each containing 25 litres, indicating an estimated total volume of 10,000 litres.
Folorunsho said preliminary assessment indicated that the products were suspected to have been sourced from locations outside the immediate community and stored at the facility for onward distribution to buyers.
He, however, said no illegal refining site was discovered at the location.
The Navy spokesman described the operation as significant because it disrupted a suspected storage and distribution point within the illicit petroleum supply chain.
He said the seizure denied illegal operators access to a facility for accumulating and moving suspected illegally refined petroleum products to the market, thereby disrupting the commercial network supporting illegal refining activities.
Folorunsho said the recovered products had been handled in accordance with established procedures for anti-crude oil theft operations.
He added that no arrest was made because the suspected operators fled the warehouse after sighting the naval patrol team.
The Navy said operations would continue in the area as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft, illegal refining and the distribution of illicit petroleum products in the Niger Delta.
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