The Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder has discovered an illegal refinery operating out of a private residence in Okwuzi, located in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.
The operation, led by Commodore Desmond Igbo, commander of NNS Pathfinder, resulted in the seizure of over 200,000 litres of illegally refined diesel and the arrest of two individuals.
According to the Nation, Commodore Igbo during a tour of the site on Wednesday highlighted the scale of the operation.
“Through credible intelligence, my team identified this entire compound as an illegal refining site,” he stated.
“The confiscated diesel amounts to over 200,000 litres, stored in sacks, drums, and over 62 tanks filled with illegally refined product.”
Commodore Igbo emphasized the broader context of the operation, referencing the recent relaunch of Operation Delta Sanity by the Nigerian Navy. This initiative aims to combat crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region.
“This discovery represents significant economic sabotage,” Igbo added. “The activities here are detrimental to our economy and must be addressed.”
The prime suspect, identified as the owner of the compound, along with an accomplice, was taken into custody for further investigation.
