The Nigerian Navy has rescued 10 crew members including one Cameroonian, one Equatorial Guinean, and eight Nigerians from a distressed vessel, MV SEMA III, which was en route to Calabar from Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The Navy’s Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
According to him, the rescue operation took place on Friday, November 7, after a distress call was received around 8:00 p.m. A naval gunboat equipped with a submersible pump was immediately deployed to the location.
“Upon arrival, the team discovered that the vessel was taking in water and swiftly evacuated all occupants
“The rescued crew, one Cameroonian, one Equatorial Guinean, and eight Nigerians, were later received, debriefed, and attended to at Forward Operating Base (FOB) IBAKA until Saturday, November 8,” Adams-Aliu said
He added that the successful rescue highlighted the Navy’s renewed commitment under the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to ensure maritime safety, safeguard national assets, and promote lawful activities within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The Master of MV SEMA III reportedly expressed deep appreciation to the Navy for its “timely intervention and professionalism.”
The latest operation followed a similar rescue just days earlier, when the Navy saved 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat along the Bonny River in Rivers State.
In that incident, the Navy said personnel of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny responded swiftly after the speedboat, which had departed Nembe Waterside Jetty in Port Harcourt for Bonny Island, suffered engine failure midstream and began taking in water near the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne.
“Despite heavy rainfall, the prompt action of our patrol team prevented a major tragedy.
“All 11 passengers, six males and five females were safely taken to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Jetty for medical checks before being handed over to the Marine Police, ” he said.
Meanwhile, the Navy has intensified operations against crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.
Personnel of Forward Operating Base Escravos recently deactivated multiple illegal refining sites in four different locations, including two at Obodo Omadino community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Officials say the ongoing clampdown forms part of broader efforts to curb environmental degradation and economic sabotage in the region.
