Navy discovers illegal 40,000 liter refinery in Rivers, three suspects arrested

The Nigerian Navy and the Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Theft have discovered a 40,000 liter capacity illegal refinery hidden in a tributary of Bonny Island, Rivers State.

The facility was discovered in a joint intelligence-based operation coordinated through a Joint Intelligence Monitoring Team consisting of personnel from various security and intelligence agencies.

Speaking to journalists in Bonny, Commander of the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Captain Stanley Umeh, described the discovery as the largest facility discovered by his team since he took over command in March 2026.

Umeh said a Navy warship ferried the members to the water before they continued on foot through thick vegetation to reach the hidden facility.

“This discovery is the result of long-term synergy between the base and other security agencies on and off the island. This is the result of intelligence that can be followed up over time,” he said.

According to the Navy Commander, the facility is different from many previously discovered illegal refineries because it has not yet begun full-scale crude oil processing.

“Every time we go there, we see illegal refineries that have holes in them and store crude oil inside. Some are mature, and some are immature. But this discovery seems to nip that action in the bud.

“This is their preparation stage. You can see from the construction and establishment of the illegal refinery, this is intended to be a very large refinery that will siphon or steal crude oil and bring it here to cook in large quantities,” he said.

Umeh said the shutdown of the facility before it became operational was a significant intervention in efforts to curb crude oil theft and protect national oil production.

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“This discovery is an added value in efforts to combat crude oil theft in Nigeria, towards increasing production or sales of crude oil in the country,” he said.

He assured residents of continued naval surveillance of Bonny waters and remote areas as part of efforts to prevent further petroleum-related criminal activities.

“There is zero tolerance for us, both inside and outside the waters. There is no tolerance for this kind of illegal action in the Bonny Local Government Area in general,” Umeh said.

The commander acknowledged the challenges involved in finding illegal facilities hidden in difficult terrain but said the Navy would maintain land and sea operations.

“We will continue to raid and ensure they have no hiding place. This is zero tolerance,” Umeh said, adding that the operation was in line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic direction regarding crude oil theft.

Also speaking, Chief of Investigation of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Petroleum Theft, Omar John Sini, attributed the discovery to ongoing cooperation between intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies.

Sini said the Federal Government established a task force on March 1, 2025, to investigate and prosecute illicit activities in the country’s hydrocarbon sector.

“From inception to now, we have managed to obtain at least 137 convictions, and this is largely responsible for the decline in illicit activities in the hydrocarbon sector,” Sini said.

He said that the intelligence leading to the operation was obtained from the Joint Intelligence Monitoring Team led by Major General AA Idris under the supervision of the Chief of Defense Staff.

Sini explained that the intelligence team consisted of representatives from several institutions, while the Public Prosecutor’s Team handled the investigation and prosecution of suspects.

He continued, “It was this synchronization that gave rise to this identity. When we worked as a team with them, by Allah’s permission, the commander, my older brother who was next to me, also worked.

“So you can imagine that when we combine these two teams, before long, we will apply the relevant technology, identify and track these locations.”

Sini said his strategy is focused on preventing petroleum theft before criminal operations are fully carried out, and not just responding once the activity begins.

“The main goal of law enforcement is to detect crime. We don’t want that to happen, so we are not reactive, we want to be preventive,” he explained.

He revealed that three suspects suspected of being connected to the financing of the illegal refinery had been detained.

“We have been able to detect it, we have allowed them to invest their money, their hard-earned resources, and they have built these refineries for amounts that could run into millions of Naira.

“What we will do after this is we will treat this place in accordance with existing laws, then face and prosecute the perpetrators because we have arrested three suspects who are related to funding the typology of crimes in this axis.

“We have contacted the court to apply for a related order,” Sini said.

But task force officials called for a review of the legal framework governing petroleum theft offences, arguing that existing penalties may not always provide adequate deterrence.

Authorities said the operation would be followed by further investigation and legal action against those associated with the facility.