The Nigerian Navy has recovered about 87,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, during an operation against crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in Rivers State.
The recovery was made in the Okarki area under Operation Delta Sentinel, following the discovery of a hidden fuel storage facility believed to have been used for the illegal stockpiling of petroleum products.

The Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Soroh carried out the operation after acting on credible intelligence.

He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Soroh carried out an anti-crude oil theft operation in the area after receiving credible intelligence, leading to the discovery of a concealed facility used to illegally store petroleum products.

“The hidden facility contained suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and equipment used for its illegal storage and handling. During the operation, about 87,000 litres of the suspected product were recovered and processed in accordance with established operational procedures,” Folorunsho said.

The Navy noted that the discovery highlights the continued efforts of criminal groups to establish secret storage facilities in the Niger Delta to sustain the illegal petroleum products trade.

He explained that dismantling such facilities weakens the network supporting crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage.

According to him, the successful operation reflects the Navy’s determination to stop economic saboteurs from operating freely while protecting critical national assets.

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled a mass abduction by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Buratai–Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, rescuing 31 travellers and recovering four vehicles.

The development was contained in a post shared by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, via his X handle.

According to Makama, the incident occurred at about 3:45 p.m. on July 31 when troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion stationed at Echo 1, Dutsen Kura, detected suspicious movement through a closed-circuit television, CCTV, surveillance system.

He said CCTV footage captured suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists abducting civilians travelling in four vehicles along the Buratai–Kamuya Road.

The troops immediately deployed a Quick Reaction Force, QRF, which pursued the insurgents towards the Mangari–Dora axis and engaged them in a gun battle.

The terrorists were forced to abandon the abducted victims and the four vehicles before fleeing into nearby bush paths.

The operation led to the rescue of 31 civilians, comprising 22 men, five women and four children, with no casualties recorded among the victims or troops.

Troops also recovered a motorcycle abandoned by the fleeing terrorists during the operation.

Following the rescue, troops dominated the area and carried out exploitation operations but made no further contact with the insurgents.

The rescued travellers, alongside the recovered vehicles and other personal belongings, were escorted to Buratai, where they were reunited and allowed to continue their journey.

According to the report, no casualties were recorded among the troops, while there were no confirmed terrorist casualties during the operation.

Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, have rescued 14 people abducted by suspected kidnappers during a coordinated operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Edo State.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu.

According to the statement, the rescue mission was carried out by troops deployed for Operation WABAIZIGAN in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State following a kidnapping incident that occurred along the highway on Thursday night.

Anyanwu explained that soldiers conducting a routine patrol received credible intelligence about the attack at about 9:30 p.m. and immediately launched a pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers.

He said the swift response and sustained pressure from the troops forced the suspects to abandon 11 of the abducted victims before escaping into a nearby forest.

The army spokesman added that a follow-up clearance operation conducted in the forest on Friday led to the rescue of the remaining three victims, bringing the total number of rescued persons to 14.

“All 14 rescued victims underwent preliminary debriefing and medical assessment and were confirmed to be in stable condition,” he said.

He noted that the victims had since been reunited with their families and allowed to continue their journeys.

Anyanwu stated that security operatives were continuing efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing kidnappers, stressing that the operation demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s operational readiness and intelligence-led strategy in combating kidnapping and other violent crimes in collaboration with sister security agencies.

He also appealed to members of the public to support ongoing security operations by providing timely and credible information that could aid the arrest of criminal elements.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their courage, professionalism and resilience during the rescue mission.

Balogun reaffirmed the brigade’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Edo State and along the Lagos-Benin Expressway, assuring residents and motorists that troops would sustain intensified operations to flush out criminal elements and deny them safe havens.