Navy foils attempted oil well sabotage, arrests suspect in Rivers

LThe Nigerian Navy says it has foiled an attempt to sabotage a crude oil wellhead in Bonny, Rivers State, and arrested one suspect during a follow-up operation.

The Director of Information, Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny intercepted a fibre boat near the Renaissance African Energy Company Limited (RAECL) Oloma Flow Station during a routine security patrol.

According to him, the occupants abandoned the boat and fled immediately after spotting the naval patrol team.

A search of the boat led to the recovery of equipment allegedly intended for wellhead tampering and pipeline vandalism, including a portable generator, a cutting and grinding machine, chisels, spanners, cutlasses and other tools.

The Navy said the items were believed to have been assembled to compromise the wellhead and siphon crude oil.

Folorunsho said follow-up operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies led to the arrest of one suspect, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the criminal network.

He added that the recovered fibre boat has been secured as investigations continue.

The Navy said the operation prevented an attack on critical oil infrastructure, averting potential economic losses and environmental damage.

It reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led operations under Operation Delta Sentinel to protect oil and gas facilities, combat crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, and secure Nigeria’s maritime domain.