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Navy task team foils attack on Port Harcourt – Bonny sea route … rescues travelers, including children, infants
One of the task teams of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (NNFOB) in Bonny, has averted what would have been a fatal experience for some travelers sailing from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island.
The intervention of the task team, led by the Commanding Officer of the NNFOB, Capt. Maksum Mohammed, led to the successful rescue of all 20 passengers on an outboard-powered engine speedboat which was stranded on the sea on September 12, 2024.
Among the passengers were three children, an infant, and his mother, according to the task team, which was conducting an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission of the general area between the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne and Dawes Island in Okrika Local Government Araa.
The team waited out on the speedboat to fix its faulty engine and let it continue its sail to Bonny, only to encounter it again and after evaluating the situation decided its engines were apparently unfixable in the circumstance, shut it down and transloaded its passengers to the Navy fastboat and conveyed them to Bonny.
Speaking with newsmen on the incident, the NNFOB Commanding Officer expressed serious concern about a tragedy that was averted.
He explained that for the boat to be found twice waiting at river entrances was a danger signal which forced the team to react by taking control and moving the passengers out of the marked area.
According to him, “this is a clear case of willful endangerment of passenger safety. Why would any mariner in his right senses sail with passengers on board a boat which engines were outrightly faulty and unable to sustain an hour’s journey?
Continuing, he said: “And then, we’re also dealing with recent cases of attacks on the river; what if these criminals had seen and approached them and taken them captive? What leverage would they have had to escape their assailants? It’s quite unfortunate that hapless passengers could be so exposed to avoidable risks and for the exorbitant amount they pay?”
Insisting that the case appeared to be simulation, he said the places they saw the boat twice were exact danger places for attacks.
In his words: “This is just in case, maybe, there was some kind of a plan because nearly all the kidnap incidents occurred where there was an engine failure or simulation in front of a river mouth, which now resulted in the kidnap as they come out and then pick their victims and carry on.”
“We encountered the same boat again simulating another engine failure in front of another river entrance. Simulating another engine failure – as far as I’m concerned, I’ll use simulation – in a place that is also known for kidnap activities. It was at that point that we decided to evacuate the passengers onto our own boats and continued with the movement.”
Mohammed advised the coastal state governments and Local Government Areas to urgently consider deploying ferries on the waterways, especially, the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route as a safer, sustainable, and subsidized means of transportation.
He said: “It’s obvious that these speedboats are worn-out, rickety, and dangerous for passengers as at now. It’s time for the State Government and the Local Government to review the situation in the interest of the people and deploy ferries to convey passengers on this route.
“The ferries would be safer, sustainable, and also subsize it to make it affordable. The fare is exorbitant. The boats are unserviceable, unsuitable, and not fit for purpose at all. It’s time the government intervened and availed the security agencies the support they needed to ensure passenger safety and waterways security.”
The Bonny River, which is the primary sea route between Bonny Island and Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has lately been challenged by incessant attacks on travelers commuting the route, with about 20 persons kidnapped and later released, thus creating an atmosphere of trauma for both travelers and their families or acquaintances.
Public outcry over the trend spurred the security agencies comprising the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Marine Police, the Department of State Services, amongst others to instantly respond to the menace and restore sanity along the sea route.
Still, the Commanding Officer of the NN FOB is concerned that despite the coordinated efforts of the security agencies, it might not yet be good news for commuters on the sea route except urgent interventions are made in terms of deploying ferries, ensuring convoy sails, and more robust intelligence sharing.
Reiterating the commitment of the security agencies in Bonny Local Government Area, especially the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, to the safety of travelers on the Bonny-PH Sea route, he said, “Bonny people are important to us and their safety is a critical issue we are focused on.”
While observing that the Navy desired safe sea travels for people of the coastal states, he however maintained that the state governments and local councils must play their own parts.
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.