Navy foils attempted wellhead sabotage, arrests suspect in Bonny

The Nigerian Navy has successfully foiled an attempted act of crude oil theft targeting critical oil infrastructure in Bonny, Rivers State. The operation, conducted under the banner of Operation Delta Sentinel, underscores the navy's commitment to protecting Nigeria's vital oil and gas assets.

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Personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, during security patrols near the Renaissance African Energy Company Limited (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station, intercepted a fibre boat close to a wellhead under suspicious circumstances. The occupants abandoned the boat and fled on sighting the patrol team.

Naval personnel on security patrols near the Renaissance African Energy Company Limited (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station intercepted a fiber boat under suspicious circumstances. Upon sighting the patrol team, the occupants abandoned the boat and fled. A subsequent search of the abandoned vessel revealed equipment commonly used for wellhead tampering and pipeline vandalism, including a portable generator, a cutting/grinding machine, chisels, spanners, and cutlasses.

These recovered items are believed to have been assembled with the intent to compromise the wellhead and siphon crude oil. Following the interception, coordinated follow-up operations involving other security agencies led to the arrest of one suspect directly linked to the attempted sabotage. The navy is continuing its efforts to apprehend other members of the criminal network involved in this operation.

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The items are believed to have been assembled to compromise the wellhead and siphon crude oil. Follow-up operations, carried out with other security agencies, resulted in the arrest of one suspect connected to the attempted sabotage, while efforts continue to apprehend others involved in the criminal network.

The recovered fiber boat has been secured as evidence for further investigation. This successful operation prevented an attack that could have resulted in significant economic losses and environmental damage through sabotage. The Nigerian Navy reiterated its dedication to conducting intelligence-led operations to safeguard national assets, combat crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, and deny economic saboteurs operational freedom within Nigeria's maritime domain.

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This operation successfully prevented an attack on critical oil infrastructure, denying criminal elements the opportunity to inflict economic losses and environmental damage through acts of sabotage. The Nigerian Navy remains committed to intelligence-led operations under Operation Delta Sentinel to protect critical national assets, combat crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, and deny economic saboteurs freedom of action within Nigeria’s maritime domain.