Navy Rescues 11 Passengers, Destroys Illegal Refineries in Niger Delta
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigerian Navy has rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat along the Bonny River in Rivers State and destroyed several illegal refining sites across the Niger Delta in renewed operations against oil theft and maritime crimes.
The rescue, according to naval authorities, took place on Tuesday, when personnel of the Forward Operating Base, Bonny, responded swiftly to a distress situation involving a speedboat that developed engine failure midstream.
INCNews247 gathered that, the boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt en route to Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, reportedly began to take in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, before the Navy patrol team arrived.
READ ALSO: When Service Meets Legacy: As AVM L.I. Oluwatoyin Bows Out of the Nigerian Air Force
Confirming the incident, Director of Naval Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, said in a statement on Thursday that the timely intervention of the naval personnel, despite heavy rainfall, prevented 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,” the statement read in part.
In a separate operation, the Navy said it 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.
Similarly, the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder uncovered and destroyed a refining site around 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, Forward Operating Base Bonny personnel dismantled another active illegal refining site at Eyamba community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, while the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta patrol team deactivated a similar operation at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Commodore Adams-Aliu noted that the operations reflect the Navy’s renewed efforts under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), to maintain maritime safety, protect critical national assets, and combat crude oil theft in the country’s waterways.
He added that the Navy remains resolute in its mandate to ensure a secure maritime domain conducive for lawful commercial and industrial activities that contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
