By Matthew Don
The Nigerian Navy has said it successfully frustrated efforts to hijack of Merchant Vessel named MV UAL HOUSTON, around Bonny Fairway Buoy, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Acting Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Suleman Dahun, made the disclosure in a statement he issued on Friday, July 14 in Abuja.
He said that the incident occurred on July 13, at about 7.45 a.m, adding that six suspected sea robbers boarded the vessel but were unable to access the ship’ s living quarters, bridge or machinery room as the ship was on lockdown by the crew.
Dahun noted: “Subsequently, on receipt of the ship’s distress call, the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny dispatched a boat to rescue the vessel.
“On sighting the naval patrol boat, the robbers abandoned their hijack plot and fled.”
Dahun added that preliminary investigation revealed that no member of the crew was abducted nor any item was stolen during the attack, adding that the Navy had sustained the recent trend of successes in the operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other illegal activities in the Niger Delta.
Dahun who is an acting director of Information, also revealed that NN ship (NNS) PATHFINDER had discovered and destroyed seven illegal refineries around Bolo Creek and Isaka axis in Rivers.
His words: “The illegal refineries destroyed at Bolo Creek had several storage tanks, two wooden boats laden with about 80,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 65,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).
“The illegal refineries destroyed in Isaka axis had storage pits laden with 45,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 5,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.”
Also, Dahun said a patrol team deployed by the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny arrested a vessel, MT LEADERSHIP, around Onne axis for conducting illegal bunkering operations.
Said Dahun: “The vessel was arrested while receiving unspecified amount of petroleum products suspected to be illegally refined AGO from a barge without valid naval approval.
“The vessel had 12 crewmen while 16 men were on the barge. The vessel and the barge are currently under the custody of the Base, while investigation is on-going.”