FOB Bonny Rescues 11 Stranded Passengers From Sinking Boat Along Bonny River

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Bonny’s armed personnel rescued 11 passengers who were stranded in an outboard engine powered speedboat which was sinking due to leakage along the Bonny River.

In a statement on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the Base Operations Officer, Lieutenant Commander Sirajo Almustapha said the rescue operation took place at about 1pm on Tuesday close to the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Rivers State. 

“On Tuesday 4 November 2025 at 1300, while conducting routine escort duties around Onne general area, FOB BONNY armed personnel observed a distressed passenger boat experiencing severe water ingress. The boat had 21 passengers onboard at the time of the incident.” 

“The passenger boat was reported to have departed Nembe Waterside Jetty Port Harcourt at 1250, heading to Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island.” 

“The passenger boat developed an engine malfunction leading to water ingress. The large number of passengers in the boat further exacerbated the water ingress.”

“Accordingly, FOB BONNY armed personnel rescued 11 passengers comprising 6 males and 5 females in order to lighten the boat while repair of the engine continued.”

“It is noteworthy that the rescue operation was conducted under heavy rainfall. The rescued passengers were conveyed to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Bonny Jetty.”

Lt. Cdr. Almustapha stated that the passengers were debriefed at the FOB BONNY before being handed over to a representative of the Marine Police Bonny, Friday Nyeche, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) at 3.40pm, to be reunited with their families.

According to him, “the passenger boat’s engines were rectified at 1558 and the boat driver along with the remaining 10 passengers proceeded to Coal Beach Jetty in Bonny Island”.

He asserted that the “FOB BONNY would sustain efforts towards ensuring the safety and security of the waterways within the area of operations for legal economic and commercial activities to thrive”.

The FOB Bonny Operations Officer averred that the rescue operation was part of various operational activities and tasks aimed at “actualizing the operational objectives of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal)”.

“Some of these operational activities include routine patrols, anti-crude oil theft, anti-illegal bunkering, anti-kidnapping as well as search and rescue operations.”  

“The patrols involve the protection of critical national infrastructure and securing the commercial routes within the Base’s Area of Operation”.