Abuja: In a swift maritime response, the Nigerian Navy rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat and dismantled multiple illegal crude oil refining sites across Rivers and Delta States, reinforcing its commitment to safety and anti-theft operations in the nation’s waterways.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, on Thursday in Abuja.
Adams-Aliu stated that the rescue operation was conducted on Tuesday by personnel of the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny, along the Bonny River.
According to him, the boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt for Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, developed engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Rivers State.
He said the swift response of the naval patrol team, despite heavy rainfall, prevented a major tragedy, as all 11 passengers, comprising six males and five females, were safely evacuated and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Jetty for medical checks.
“The rescued passengers were later handed over to the Marine Police for onward reunification with their families,” he said.
The naval spokesman said the Navy, in another Operation on Wednesday, intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft by deactivating multiple illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta.
He said personnel of FOB Escravos dismantled two sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.
“Similarly, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER patrol team uncovered and deactivated another site with cooking ovens, reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil around Bakana and Isaka areas of Rivers.
“Also, personnel of FOB Bonny dismantled a refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area, while NNS DELTA patrol team deactivated another at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta,” he added.
Adams-Aliu said the operations reflect the Navy’s renewed commitment under the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to ensure maritime safety, protect national assets, and promote lawful economic activities.
He reaffirmed that the Nigerian Navy would sustain the momentum in its fight against crude oil theft and all forms of illegality within the nation’s maritime domain.