By Helen Udo.
The Nigerian Navy has foiled an attempted sabotage of a critical oil wellhead in Bonny, Rivers State, under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, reaffirming its commitment to protecting Nigeria’s strategic oil and gas infrastructure from economic saboteurs.
The operation was carried out by personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny during routine security patrols near the Renaissance African Energy Company Limited (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station, where a fibre boat was intercepted close to a wellhead under suspicious circumstances.
In a statement signed by Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, Director Naval Information revealed that the occupants of the boat fled immediately after sighting the patrol team, abandoning the vessel before they could be apprehended.
A search of the abandoned boat led to the recovery of several items commonly used for wellhead tampering and pipeline vandalism, including a portable generator, cutting and grinding machine, chisels, spanners, cutlasses, and other tools believed to have been intended for sabotaging the facility and siphoning crude oil.
Subsequent follow-up operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies resulted in the arrest of one suspect linked to the attempted sabotage, while efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the criminal network. The recovered fibre boat has also been secured for further investigation.
The Navy said the operation successfully prevented what could have resulted in significant economic losses and environmental damage, denying criminal elements the opportunity to attack critical oil infrastructure.
The Nigerian Navy reiterated its resolve to sustain intelligence-driven operations under Operation DELTA SENTINEL to combat crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of economic sabotage across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
