The Nigerian Navy has reaffirmed its commitment to maritime safety and the fight against crude oil theft following a series of successful operations across the Niger Delta region.
In a statement signed by Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, Director of Naval Information, the Navy disclosed that personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, along the Bonny River in Rivers State.
According to the statement, the ill-fated boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt en route to Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, developed an engine fault midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne.
“The swift response of the FOB Bonny patrol team, despite heavy rainfall, prevented what could have been a major tragedy,” the statement read.
All 11 passengers, six men and five women were rescued and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Jetty for medical evaluation before being handed over to the Marine Police for onward reunification with their families.
In a separate operation, the Navy intensified its anti-crude oil theft campaign with the deactivation of several illegal refining sites across four locations in Delta and Rivers States on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.
Personnel of FOB Escravos dismantled two illegal refinery sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Similarly, operatives of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER discovered and destroyed an illegal refining camp containing three cooking ovens, six reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) around the Bakana and Isaka general areas in Rivers State.
Additionally, FOB Bonny personnel deactivated another active illegal refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area, while the NNS DELTA patrol team destroyed a similar operation at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Nigerian Navy emphasized that these coordinated operations reflect the renewed strategic direction of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), to enhance maritime security, protect vital national assets, and sustain lawful economic activities within Nigeria’s territorial waters.
“The Navy remains steadfast in its mandate to curb crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, and all forms of maritime illegality,” Commodore Adams-Aliu added.
Through these operations, the Navy continues to reinforce its role as a key guardian of Nigeria’s blue economy and national energy infrastructure.