The Nigerian Navy has rescued a drifting passenger vessel, MV Nue Swift, belonging to an oil servicing firm, Nue Offshore Resources Limited, off the coast of Bonny, Rivers State.
The vessel, with five Nigerians on-board, according to the Nigerian Navy, had lost its means of propulsion at Agbara platform while transiting from Forcados in Delta State to Bonny Single Buoy Mooring in Rivers State and drifted for about 32 hours without any help or assistance.
Nigerian Navy’s Director of Information, Commodore Adedotun Olukayode Ayo-Vaughan, said the rescue mission was carried out off Bonny Fairway Buoy at about 2pm on Tuesday, by the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Okpabana.
Ayo-Vaughan in a statement said the Navy rose to the occasion and discharged its role of Search and Rescue, as well as responsibility towards the safety of lives and property in Nigeria’s maritime environment, when NNS Okpabana rescued the 16metre crew supplier vessel.
He maintained that the Nigerian Navy, under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, remains committed to her constitutional duty of promoting, co-coordinating and enforcing safety regulations in the country’s territorial waters and her exclusive economic zone.
“In a swift response to the boat’s distress message, the NNS Okpabana, located MV Nue Swift and towed it to Bonny Anchorage, where its crew members were medically evaluated and counselled by Nigerian Navy medical personnel onboard NNS Okpabana.
“The crew and the boat were, thereafter, handed over to the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Forward Operations Base, Bonny, Capt. Mohammed Adamu, for onward transfer to the company’s representatives,” the statement said.
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