The Nigerian Navy says it will continue to evolve its strategies to deal with hoodlums attacking passengers on the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route, insisting that maritime operators in the area must adhere to the convoy sail plan to ensure ease of security escort.

Commanding Officer of Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (NNFOB), CApt. Maksum Mohammed gave this assurance on Friday, September 6, 2024 in a telephone chat with Kristina Reports in Bonny, Rivers State. 

He assured travelers utilizing the sea route that the Nigerian Navy is emplacing measures to secure their safety He stated that the base has assumed a more aggressive posture and he is confident it will soon yield the desired result.

Currently, several Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions are in full swing to uncover the hideouts of the criminals wherever they may be with a view to neutralising them.

He informed that the Forward Operating Base, Bonny activated an anti-kidnap for ransom squadron (AKFR SQN) in May 2024 when the sea route witnessed a surge in kidnap incidents between the months of April and May, adding that the AKFR SQN maintained patrol along the compromised route for nearly 12 hours every day.

According to him, in the process two potential kidnap incidents were prevented just as the AKFR SQN presence brought respite to the situation as no incidents were witnessed in June, July up to mid August.

“This kidnap incident started late March, and early April. We started seeing the kidnap incidents occurring and then it started to increase. By May, it was really getting embarrassing and, so, by May, the Base had activated an anti-kidnap for ransom squadron.”

“The duties or tasking of this squadron was to maintain patrol all the way from Bonny here, the Base, through and past the Yellow Platform up to the general area and places where we’d noticed the activities were occurring.” 

“So, by the time we activated this anti-kidnap for ransom squad, kidnapping ceased in the month of June and July; there was no incident recorded in June and July because of the presence that we maintained. We have continued to maintain this presence. So, April, May, June, and July, we had the place under control.”

“Now, this recent spate or increase in the kidnap incident started occurring, I think, after they had placed us under surveillance and understood how we were operating, the timings that we were out there and when we were no longer out there because apart from this kidnap that happened on Monday, the last two kidnaps that occurred happened when we had just pulled out of that area around 6.30pm in the evening.” 

“The boats had pulled out and were just about to come and longside here when we got the message that an incident had occurred and they had to turn back and return to that area to go and investigate.”

“It happened twice. So, apparently, these hoodlums had placed us under surveillance, understudied us within this period and knew how we operated.”

The FOB Commanding Officer noted, however, that the boat operators in the area were not cooperating by adhering to the stipulated sail timelines and convoy movement as directed by the Chairman of Bonny LGA, insisting that it was necessary that they comply for their safety and that of their passengers.

“Why did we secure around 18.30? This is because this was based on the agreement we had with the boat operators that by 6.00pm latest, everybody has gone and nobody is moving.”

“They, themselves, are not helping issues. We’ve given them timings for their movement and have encouraged them to move in convoy and they don’t do any of these things. So, it makes it difficult.”

“Moving in a convoy of about four or five boats, for instance, is enough deterrence on its own because from the way they (kidnappers) operate, they don’t use more than two boats; two boats attacking up to five boats, one must escape.”

“That one that escapes is enough threat for them because they know that that one is going to call for help. So, they would rather just abort their mission or, yes, they’d rather just abort their mission.”

“But they are not cooperating; everybody wants to move at his own time and then when they strike them, it becomes a problem. So, they need to help us to help them as well.”

Capt. Maksum Mohammed asserted the Navy would continue to evolve its strategies to proactively decimate the security threats and apprehend the hoodlums terrorizing travelers on the sea, assuring that sustained patrols will continue along the waterways.

“Now that we’ve realized that these hoodlums have changed the way they operate; we are also going to change the way we have. We’ve been carrying out anti-kidnapping ransom surveillance and patrol duties. We’re going to change it also to match what they are doing.”

Recall that about four kidnap incidents have occurred between mid August and first week of September 2024 along the Bonny-Port Harcourt sea route, which spurred apprehensions among travelers commuting between Bonny and Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

He stated that the identified areas where kidnap incidents happened recently have been flagged and operatives of the NN FOB drafted to assert security governance in those areas, identify the suspected threat purveyors and inflict maximum punishment on any culprit caught in those hideouts.

The Bonny Local Government had issued a statement acknowledging the situation and assuring that interventions to contain the situation were ongoing, calling on relevant stakeholders to identify with the coordinated efforts to curb attacks on the waterways.

According to Capt. Mohammed, though the cost of sustaining the onslaught was humongous, the Nigerian Navy will not be deterred in its determination to secure the waterways with a view to making safe for travelers and maritime activities.

He asserted that thought general area where the incidents occurred – Isaka in Port Harcourt LGA; Dawes Island in Okrika LGA and the Ogu/Bolo LGA are outside the area of responsibility of the Forward Operating Base, Bonny, operatives of the Base were asserting security presence there to ensure travelers sail safely.  

He enjoined the public to avail the Navy and sister security agencies of relevant and timely information to aid the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations, stressing that security was everyone’s business and an injury to one is an injury to all.