What almost turned out a scary or even fatal experience for some travelers sailing from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island on Thursday, September 12, 2024 was averted by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (NNFOB), Bonny as one of its task team rescued all 20 passengers including three children, an infant and his mother.

The task team, which was led by the Commanding Officer of the NNFOB, Capt. Maksum Mohammed, was conducting an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance (ISR) mission of the general area between the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne and Dawes Island in Okrika LGA when it came in contact with an outboard-powered engine speedboat which was stranded on the sea.

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 Kristina Reports on the incident, the NNFOB Commanding Officer expressed serious concern about a tragedy that was avoided, querying “what if it rained and the weather became turbulent? What would have been the fate of the children in that boat, especially, the infant and his mother?”

“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?

“And then we’re also dealing 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 harpless passengers could be so exposed to avoidable risks and for the exorbitant amount they pay?”

“We met the boat that broke down or simulated a breakdown in front of a river mouth. We got there and stayed with them until the engine was reactivated. After it rectified this engines, it left us and went ahead and even went out of sight.

“We were carrying out surveillance of the general area, when we concluded our surveillance and continued on our way. We flew our drone in that area because it was in front of a river entrance, one of the river entrances that those criminals have been known to come out from.

“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 then carrying 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.”

Capt. Mohammed advised the State Government and the Bonny Local Government to urgently consider depoying ferries on the waterways, especially, the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route as a safer, sustainable and subsidized means of transportation.

“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 intervenes and avails the security agencies the support they need 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.

Nonetheless, the Commanding Officer of the NN FOB is concerned that despite the coordinated efforts of the security agencies, it might not yet be Uhuru for commuters on the sea route except urgent interventions are made in terms of deploying ferries, ensuring convoy sails, and more robust intelligence sharing.

He reiterated that commitment of the security agencies in Bonny LGA, especially, the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, to the safety of travelers on the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route, noting that “Bonny people are important to us and their safety is a critical issue we are focused on”.

“We want the people of Bonny to travel in safety and their families not having to worry about their arrival at their destinations. So, we – the Navy, the Army, every security agency in Bonny – are committed to ensuring that and restoring sanity on the Bonny Channel.”