Navy Rescues Five Nigerian Crew Members 

Officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Okpabana, have rescued five Nigerian crew members off Bonny Fairway Buoy.
Confirming the rescue, the spokesman, NNS Okpabana, Commodore Ayo-Vaughan, said the rescue mission was carried out off Bonny Fairway Buoy by the officers during the week.
Vaughan said the crew’s boat lost her means of propulsion at Agbara platform while transiting from Forcados to Bonny single buoy mooring and drifted for about 32 hours without any help or assistance.
“The 16 metre Surfer Passenger Boat, MV NUE SWIFT, which belongs to a Lagos-based oil service company, had a crew of five Nigerians onboard.
“NNS Okpabana in swift response to the boat’s distress message located MV NUE SWIFT and towed the boat to Bonny anchorage”, he said.
The Spokesman also confirmed that the crew members were medically evaluated and counselled by Nigerian Navy medical personnel onboard NNS Okpabana.
“Thereafter, the crew and the boat were handed over to the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Forward Operations Base, Bonny, on 6 July 2022, at about 10am, for onward transfer to the company’s representatives”, he stated.
The spokesman emphasised that the Navy was committed to her constitutional duty of promoting, co-coordinating and enforcing safety regulations in the county’s territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone.
“The Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, remains committed to her constitutional duty of promoting, co-coordinating and enforcing safety regulations in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria, amongst other constitutional roles, he said.