The Nigerian Navy Ahead Working Base (FOB) Bonny has rescued 11 passengers from a sinking outboard engine-powered speedboat alongside the Bonny River.
The operation was carried out by armed personnel of FOB Bonny on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at about 1:00 p.m., close to the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne, Rivers State.
In line with Lieutenant Commander Sirajo Almustapha, Base Operations Officer, the passenger boat developed an engine malfunction, which precipitated water to enter the vessel and was worsened by the massive variety of passengers on board.
Almustapha mentioned that whereas conducting routine escort duties across the Onne common space, FOB Bonny personnel noticed a distressed passenger boat taking in water. “The boat had 21 passengers on board on the time of the incident,” he mentioned.
“The passenger boat was reported to have departed Nembe Waterside Jetty, Port Harcourt, at 12:50 p.m., heading to Coal Seaside Jetty in Bonny Island. The boat developed an engine malfunction, resulting in water ingress, and the massive variety of passengers additional exacerbated the scenario.
“Accordingly, FOB Bonny armed personnel rescued 11 passengers, comprising six males and 5 females, to lighten the boat whereas the engine was being repaired.”
Almustapha defined that the rescued passengers have been debriefed at FOB Bonny earlier than being handed over to a consultant of the Marine Police, Assistant Superintendent of Police Friday Nyeche, at about 4:40 p.m., to be reunited with their households.
He added that the boat’s engine was repaired at about 3:58 p.m., after which the driving force and the remaining 10 passengers proceeded to Coal Seaside Jetty in Bonny Island.
Almustapha reaffirmed that “FOB Bonny would maintain efforts in the direction of making certain the protection and safety of the waterways inside its space of operations for authorized financial and industrial actions to thrive.”
He acknowledged that the rescue operation fashioned a part of the bottom’s varied actions aimed toward actualising the operational goals of the Chief of the Naval Workers, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal).
“A few of these operational actions embrace routine patrols, anti-crude oil theft, anti-illegal bunkering, anti-kidnapping, in addition to search and rescue operations. The patrols contain the safety of vital nationwide infrastructure and securing industrial routes inside the base’s space of operation,” he added.
