365,000 liters of crude oil seized as Navy dismantles illegal refineries in Ondo

At least five unauthorized refineries have been uncovered in various communities within the Araromi seaside area of Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State.

The discovery was made by operatives from the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda.

In an official statement released today, the military revealed that these illicit refineries were found to house a total of 365,000 liters of crude oil. Steps are currently underway to dismantle and render these illegal facilities inactive.

Navy Captain Wasuku Alushi, the Commanding Officer of the base, disclosed in the announcement that the recent findings resulted from a military expedition to the sites where the unlawful refining activities were occurring. This operation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Navy to combat crude oil theft and related criminal activities in the Niger Delta region, specifically targeting Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State.

Captain Alushi explained, “Operation Delta Sanity” was launched by the Chief of Naval Staff two weeks ago with the overall objective of intensifying efforts to curb crude oil theft in the Niger Delta area and sanitize the environment. Dismantling these illegal refining sites is a crucial aspect of this mandate to prevent nefarious activities and raise awareness about the actions of economic saboteurs.

The commander provided details regarding the presence of five distinct illegal refining ovens within the refining field, each with a refining capacity of 33,000 liters, and two other ovens with a refining capacity of 10,000 liters each. This information indicated that each oven had the potential to refine 83,000 liters of crude oil per day.

Furthermore, Captain Alushi explained that the illegal refiners employed local technology and the principles of fractional distillation to refine the crude oil. The refined products, such as illegally refined HGO, were then transported through a network of pipes buried underground and connected to the high sea. At night, locally constructed boats known as Cotonou boats would transport these products for delivery to markets.

The military, equipped with welders and other specialists, is on-site to dismantle this well-organized network of engineering created by these criminal elements, with the aim of rendering the site ineffective and curbing their illicit activities