About nine illegal refining sites were dismantled by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base at Igbokoda in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The discovery of the site within the Obenla area of the community followed days of surveillance by the naval officers.
The Commander of the base, Navy Captain Aliyu Usman, in a statement on Thursday, stated that the operation was carried out on Monday.
According to him, about 20,000 litres of crude oil and 15,000 litres of illegally refined diesel were destroyed during the operation.
He further stated that the suspects fled the scene before the arrival of his men.
The statement read in part, “In continuation with the efforts of the Nigerian Navy to stop all acts of crude oil theft and illegal banking activities within the Nigerian environment, the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, stormed into a farmhouse of an illegal refining camp within the Obenla community, where we discovered about nine illegal refining sites within the Obenla sea sites.
“We discovered about 20,000 litres of stolen crude oil, which was yet to be cooked, and about 15,000 litres of illegally refined product suspected to be Automatic Gas Oil or diesel.”
Usman described the operation as another achievement for the Nigerian Navy, adding it was geared towards efforts to clean up the environment and as well prevent all acts of illegalities by perpetrators against the Nigerian state.
“These efforts will continue until all illegalities are stopped, and this will be sustained as long as possible. The magnitude of the structure we discovered tells the huge quantity of stolen crude oil being processed there.”
He however noted that the sites would be monitored to prevent a resurgence of the criminal acts.
He also cautioned residents of the community against harbouring criminals due to the dangers inherent in such.
“We call on all community leaders and traditional leaders to further educate their subjects and ensure such activities are promptly reported to the Nigerian Navy for urgent action in the interest of the country,” he added.
