OBE-JEDO, Ondo State (BN24)— The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an illegal crude oil refinery in the Obe-Jedo and Obe-Adun communities of Ilaje Local Council, Ondo state, Nigeria, arresting seven people and seizing large quantities of stolen diesel and makeshift weapons, authorities said Friday.
Navy Captain Aliyu Usman, commander of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Igbokoda, said the operation was based on credible intelligence about economic sabotage and maritime crime. “Our team acted on verified information that crude oil theft and illegal refining activities were ongoing in these riverine communities,” Usman said.
During the raid, naval operatives recovered approximately 3,000 liters of refined diesel stored in jerrycans, along with several cooking ovens used to refine stolen crude oil. Officers also recovered machetes and locally made firearms believed to have been used to resist arrest.
Usman said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects initially arrested were secondary participants who have since been released. The main operators of the refinery remain at large and have been declared wanted.
The operation faced significant resistance. A group of hired youths and some women reportedly attempted to shield the illegal activities, forcing the Navy to withdraw temporarily to avoid escalation. “The team later returned in the early hours of the following day and discovered that stolen crude oil and refined products had been relocated to a nearby bakery and other makeshift storage facilities,” Usman said. “The illegal refinery was subsequently deactivated following directives from Defence Headquarters.”
Authorities said the illegal refining operations not only fuel economic sabotage but also pose environmental hazards. Crude oil theft and makeshift refining can cause oil spills, soil contamination, and damage to fishing resources critical to local livelihoods.
Captain Usman condemned the violent resistance as a “dangerous innovation” by criminal elements bent on frustrating security operations and sabotaging national resources. He said the operation aligns with the Chief of Naval Staff’s directive to prevent crude oil theft and protect Nigeria’s maritime and coastal assets.
“The Nigerian Navy urges law-abiding residents of riverine communities to resist being used by oil thieves,” Usman warned. “These criminal ventures benefit only a few individuals while destroying the livelihoods and ecosystems of entire communities.”
Authorities also cautioned that anyone obstructing Navy operations against crude oil theft would be treated as an accomplice and face prosecution under Nigerian law.
The Navy said it will continue intensified patrols and intelligence-led operations in the Niger Delta and other affected regions to dismantle illegal refineries and curb the theft of crude oil, a key national resource.
