The men of the Nigerian Navy have uncovered eight illegal bunkering sites at the Obe-Akinboye seaside community in Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State.
The Hope report revealed that the operation which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, 15 April 2025, around 3 am was executed by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Igbokoda.
While addressing journalists, the Commanding Officer of the Base, Captain Aliyu Usman, said the discovery was made possible through a robust intelligence network and the vigilance of naval personnel in their fight against maritime crime, illegality, and economic sabotage within their Area of Operation.
Usman stressed that upon the intelligence received about the illegal refining camps, the Base’s Quick Response Team at a nearby Naval Security Outpost immediately conducted the raid.
He further revealed that the perpetrators fled the area upon sighting the Naval Assault team, abandoning the illegal sites.
The operative uncovered eight illegal refining camps containing several storage tanks and reservoirs filled with an estimated 50,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
In addition, the camps were reportedly equipped with crude oil theft-related equipment, including three wooden boats used to convey the stolen products, pumping machines, and discharge pipes.
The eight illegal refining sites and associated items were handled following extant directives from Defence Headquarters.
The Captain, however, warned all criminals and economic saboteurs operating in the maritime domain to desist from their activities.
Usman reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to its zero-tolerance stance on maritime criminality and crude oil theft.
He added that the operation aligns with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla (Admiralty Medal), for naval bases to ensure the safety and security of the nation’s waters and actively pursue those undermining Nigeria’s maritime resources.
