In a swift and coordinated operation, the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny, Rivers State, successfully rescued 15 traders from armed kidnappers attempting to escape into the deep creeks.
The distress call came in at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Friday, March 18, 2025, reporting that passengers aboard a ‘Market Boat’ had been hijacked near Opuadakiri community.
The attackers, suspected to be pirates, forced the traders into a creek, prompting an immediate response from the naval patrol team.
On approaching the scene, naval personnel spotted four armed men aboard the hijacked boat. However, upon sighting the Navy’s gunboats, the kidnappers abandoned their victims and fled. The rescued passengers, who were unharmed, were later debriefed by Lieutenant Commander Siraj Almustapha, the Base Operations Officer.
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According to testimonies, the Market Boat had been en route from Bonny Island to Port Harcourt when the attack occurred. The boat driver confirmed that the assailants numbered four, with at least one carrying a rifle.
After ensuring the safety of the victims, the Navy escorted them to their intended destination before intensifying patrols in the surrounding areas.
In response to the incident, the Navy has activated surveillance measures to track and disrupt the operations of criminal elements in the region.
The FOB Bonny remains committed to executing the strategic vision of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Chief of the Naval Staff, through sustained anti-kidnapping operations, anti-crude oil theft initiatives, and routine patrols to safeguard national infrastructure and commercial waterways.
