UYO, Nigeria — The Nigerian Navy rescued 10 crew members from a sinking cargo vessel off the coast of Akwa Ibom State on Friday night, in a swift maritime operation that underscored the country’s growing role in regional sea safety.
The vessel, MV SEMA III, was traveling from Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to Calabar in southeastern Nigeria when it began taking on water around 8 p.m., according to naval officials. A distress call was relayed to the Navy’s Forward Operating Base in Ibaka, which dispatched a gunboat equipped with a submersible pump.
The crew — eight Nigerians, one Cameroonian, and one Equatorial Guinean — were evacuated and brought ashore safely. They were debriefed and housed overnight at the naval base before being released.
“The Nigerian Navy has once again proven its dedication to saving lives at sea,” Commodore Ayiwuyor Adams-Aliu, the Navy’s director of information, said in a statement. He praised the personnel for their professionalism and rapid response.
The master of the vessel, who asked not to be named, described the rescue as “nothing short of miraculous.” “We were losing hope fast,” he said. “The Navy arrived just in time. Their speed and calm saved us.”
One of the Nigerian crew members, Emmanuel Okon, said the experience was terrifying. “Water was rushing in. We tried everything. When we saw the Navy boat, we knew we had a chance.”
In a statement issued Saturday, Nigeria’s Ministry of Transportation commended the Navy’s action, calling it “a testament to the country’s growing maritime readiness.” The ministry said it would work with regional partners to improve early warning systems and vessel safety compliance.
Minister of State for Defense Bello Matawalle also weighed in, saying the rescue “demonstrates the strategic importance of Nigeria’s naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea.” He added that the government is committed to “strengthening maritime security infrastructure and ensuring that no distress call goes unanswered.”
The incident is one of several recent maritime rescues by the Nigerian Navy. Just days earlier, on November 4, naval personnel from the Forward Operating Base in Bonny rescued 11 stranded passengers from a sinking speedboat along the Bonny River in Rivers State. The boat, which had developed engine failure and began taking in water, was spotted during a routine patrol near the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne.
“These operations show that our coastal surveillance and emergency response systems are working,” said Dr. Ifeanyi Nwosu, a maritime law expert in Lagos. “But they also highlight the need for stricter vessel inspections and better enforcement of safety regulations.”
No injuries were reported in either incident, and investigations are underway to determine the causes of the vessel failures. Naval engineers are assessing whether MV SEMA III can be salvaged.
The Nigerian Navy has conducted several high-profile rescues in recent years, part of a broader effort to assert control over its territorial waters and support regional stability in West Africa.
