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By Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Navy has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the nation’s maritime environment through a series of coordinated rescue and anti-crude oil theft operations carried out this week across the Niger Delta.
In a statement yesterday, the Navy disclosed that personnel of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, successfully rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat along the Bonny River.
The ill-fated boat, which departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt en route Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island, reportedly developed engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, in Rivers State.
According to the statement, the FOB Bonny patrol team responded swiftly under heavy rainfall, preventing a major tragedy. All six male and five female passengers were safely evacuated and taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Jetty for medical checks before being handed over to the Marine Police for reunification with their families.
In a related development, the Nigerian Navy said it intensified its anti-crude oil theft operations across the Niger Delta on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, deactivating multiple illegal refining sites in four different locations.
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Personnel of the FOB Escravos dismantled two illegal refining sites at Obodo Omadino Community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, while the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER patrol team uncovered and deactivated another site in the Bakana and Isaka general areas of Rivers State.
The operation at Bakana and Isaka led to the destruction of three cooking ovens, six reservoirs, sacks, jerrycans, and dugout pits filled with stolen crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
Similarly, personnel of FOB Bonny dismantled an active illegal refining site at Eyamba Community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, while the NNS DELTA patrol team destroyed another at Opumani Creek in Warri South Local Government Area, Delta State.
The Navy said the operations reflect its renewed drive under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), to promote maritime safety, protect critical national assets, and support lawful economic activities across the country’s maritime domain.
“These operations underscore the Nigerian Navy’s sustained efforts to eradicate crude oil theft, illegal refining, and other forms of maritime illegality while ensuring a secure and prosperous maritime environment,” the statement added.
