The Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, gave the warning on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Folorunsho said the Navy’s growing surveillance capabilities, combined with sustained operations, had significantly reduced the space available for criminals to operate.
He warned that those involved in crude oil theft and other maritime crimes would be tracked down and prosecuted if arrested.
The warning followed the Navy’s recent discovery of three suspected illegal refining sites and six reservoirs containing about 99,000 litres of products suspected to be stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, in Rivers and Delta states.
Folorunsho described large-scale crude oil theft as a highly organised criminal activity, noting that moving significant quantities of crude requires vessels, logistics and considerable resources.
He said the Federal Government’s investment in modern maritime surveillance equipment had strengthened the Navy’s ability to detect suspicious movements within Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.
According to him, criminals attempting to move large quantities of stolen crude by sea can now be detected and intercepted before their operations are completed.
Folorunsho maintained that the Navy would continue to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to protect the country’s maritime resources and prevent criminal activities on its waterways.
