By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Nigerian Navy says it has rescued a Cameroun-flagged motor fishing vessel AFKI, which drifted into the ‘Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone’ after moving slowly on the water for about one month.
MFV AFKI was said to be en route from Bangul in Gambia to the Congo Kinshasa.
The rescue, according to the Navy, came after its vessel, NNS Dorina received a distress call on Nov. 1 that the MFV AFKI vessel needed assistance but could not rescue the vessel until Nov. 17.
Navy’s spokesperson, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, informing that the fishing vessel had drifted off her course for four weeks before its eventual rescue in the Nigeria waters.
He said the vessel, while in transit, suffered depleted fuel to her propulsion engines which resulted in her drifting off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe into Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
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“On November 1, 2023, the Nigerian Navy received distress information requesting assistance for the rescue of a Cameroonian-flagged motor fishing vessel, AFKI (MFV AFKI) with registration number UK12 and IMO number AFKI 8432780. The fishing vessel reportedly had drifted off her course for four weeks.
“According to available information from a note verbale issued by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the incident occurred on October 24, 2023, when MFV AFKI was en route from Bangul in Gambia to the Congo Kinshasa for delivery of the vessel. While in transit, the vessel suffered depleted fuel to her propulsion engines which resulted in her drifting off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe into Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
“Unfortunately, all efforts by the vessel owners to trace its location for possible rescue proved abortive. However, further surveillance revealed that the last known location of the vessel was about 72 nautical miles from the Nigerian coast.
“Consequently, the NN swiftly deployed NNS DORINA, the Maritime Domain Awareness facilities for Search and Rescue Operation. Accordingly, on November 17, 2023, at about 2000 hours, after frantic surveillance by the deployed NN platform, NNS DORINA traced and made contact with the vessel 17 nautical miles off Pennington terminal,” the naval spokesman said.
He said after rescuing the vessel, the navy found two foreign crew members, and that there were no incriminating items.
“Upon rescuing of the vessel, two foreign crew members were confirmed onboard. Pertinently, due diligence was made by NNS DORINA Boarding Party to ascertain the status of the vessel and her involvement in any untoward activities. It was however discovered that the vessel actually had no incriminating items onboard.
“Thereafter NNS DORINA towed MFV AFKI with the assistance of NNS IKENNE to Escravos, Delta State where NN Forward Operating Base ESCRAVOS took custody of the Fishing Vessel for further administrative procedures in preparation to hand over the vessel to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. MFV AFKI had thus been adrift for almost One month before the NN rescued her,” the statement read in part.
