The Nigerian Navy has uncovered a large dugout reservoir containing approximately 10,000 litres of substance suspected to be crude oil in the Oteghele general area of Delta State. The navy disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director of Naval Information, Abiodun Folorunsho, a captain, and made available to journalists on Friday in Abuja.
According to Mr Folorunsho, the discovery was made on Wednesday by personnel of NNS DELTA during an anti-crude oil theft operation conducted within its area of operations. He said the operation followed credible intelligence received by the Navy regarding suspected illicit petroleum activities being carried out in the area. Mr Folorunsho disclosed that the large dugout reservoir contained the substance suspected to be illegally obtained crude oil, estimated to be about 10,000 litres.
He said the reservoir and its contents were subsequently “handled in accordance with established procedures,” preventing the suspected stolen crude oil from being further utilised for illicit activities. The director said the latest operation was part of the navy’s sustained efforts to deny criminal operators access to crude oil and dismantle infrastructure used to facilitate its illegal exploitation.