The Nigerian Navy has uncovered about 85,000 litres of substance suspected to be stolen crude oil at the Allison area of Rivers State.
The Navy revealed this in a statement on Wednesday, signed by its Director Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.
The statement credited the discovery to a follow-up operation on September 29, which disrupted attempts to re-establish illegal oil bunkering activities after an earlier intervention in the area.
“The operation uncovered 16 concealed dugout pits, including 4 containing approximately 40,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and another three containing approximately 45,000 litres suspected to be awaiting processing. Troops also found hoses used to move crude oil, the Navy said.
The development comes barely a week after the deactivation of a major illegal refining camp in the same area on September 22.
“The successive interventions indicate that attempts to regenerate illicit oil-processing capacity are meeting continued naval pressure, limiting criminal operators’ ability to restore previously disrupted activities,” the statement added.
The Navy added that it handled the recovered suspected stolen crude oil and associated items in accordance with established procedures.
