Navy rescues 11 passengers from boat mishap

The Nigerian Navy has rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat along the Bonny River in Rivers State, even as it intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining across the Niger Delta.

According to naval authorities, the rescue took place on Tuesday when personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, responded swiftly to a distress call from a speedboat that had developed engine failure midstream.

Sources told INCNews247 that the ill-fated boat had departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt en route to Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island before it began to take in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne.

The situation reportedly worsened as heavy rainfall reduced visibility until the Navy patrol team arrived at the scene.

Confirming the incident, A. Adams-Aliu, Director of Naval Information, said in a statement on Thursday that the prompt response of the naval personnel averted what could have been a major tragedy.

“All 11 passengers six males and five females, were rescued and taken to the NLNG Jetty for medical checks before being handed over to the Marine Police for reunification with their families,” Navy stated.

In a separate development, the Navy said it had intensified its campaign against crude oil theft and illegal refining, dismantling several makeshift refineries across Delta and Rivers states on Wednesday.

“At Obodo Omadino community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, personnel of Forward Operating Base Escravos deactivated two illegal refining sites”, the statement reads.

Similarly, operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder uncovered and destroyed a refining camp around the Bakana and Isaka general areas of Rivers State, where three cooking ovens, six reservoirs, jerrycans, sacks, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude oil and adulterated diesel were found.

Also, FOB Bonny personnel dismantled an illegal refining site at Eyamba community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, while the NNS Delta patrol team deactivated another operation at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

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Navy said the operations underscore the Navy’s renewed commitment under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Idi Abbas, to secure Nigeria’s maritime environment, protect critical national assets, and combat economic sabotage.

It reaffirmed the Navy’s resolve to maintain a safe maritime domain that supports legitimate commercial and industrial activities crucial to Nigeria’s economic development.

“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in its mandate to ensure maritime safety and deny criminals freedom of action within the nation’s territorial waters,” the statement added.