Some 15 traders have been rescued by the Naval Base in Bonny, Rivers State, from armed kidnappers (pirates) that were escaping into the deeper creeks last night.

The Forward Operation Base (FOB) Bonny received a distress call at about 2.20pm Friday, March 18, 2025, that 15 passengers in a ?Market Boat? were forced into a creek by unknown armed men suspected to be kidnappers around Opuadakiri community.

On receipt of the report, according to the Navy, the FOB Bonny patrol team swiftly moved into the creek in pursuit.

On sighting the naval gunboats, however, the armed men numbering about four abandoned the boat and escaped. It was said that the FOB Bonny patrol team rescued the victims unhurt.

A debrief of the victims, conducted by Siraj Almustapha, a lietenant commander who is the Base Operations Officer, revealed that the incident occurred when the Market Boat was enroute Port Harcourt from Bonny Island. Also, the boat driver confirmed that the suspected kidnappers were four in number with one man armed with a rifle.

On completion of the debrief, the 15 passengers and the Market Boat were said to be escorted to their destination safely. Thereafter, patrol around the general area was sustained.

Consequent upon this, the Base said it has activated measures to establish the pattern of life of the miscreants in order to dislocate them and deny them freedom of action in carrying out further Kidnap for Ransom activities.

The FOB Bonny says It has continued to carry out various operational activities and tasks towards actualizing the operational objectives of Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, the Chief of the Naval Staff who is a Vice Admiral. Some of these operational activities include routine patrols, anti-Crude Oil Theft (COT), anti-illegal bunkering and anti-kidnapping operations.

The navy said the patrols involve the protection of critical national infrastructure and securing the commercial routes within the Base?s Area of Operation (AOO).

On Friday 28 March 2025, the Navy said, FOB Bonny Anti-Kidnapping Team embarked on routine patrol around Bonny Anchorage, Open Water and Yellow Platform up to the limit of the Base?s Area of Operation. During the patrol, security checks were carried out on passenger boats plying through the area. This yielded the rescue of 15 kidnap victims. (BusinessDay)

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