Nigerian Navy Rescues Stranded Cameroonian Fishing Vessel After Month-Long Drift

The Nigerian Navy has undertaken a remarkable rescue operation, saving the Cameroonian-flagged motor fishing vessel AFKI that languished adrift for nearly a month at sea.

The Navy’s vessel, NNS Dorina, responded to a distress call on November 1, alerting them to the plight of the MFV AFKI, which had been struggling for assistance after experiencing propulsion engine issues. However, due to the vessel’s erratic drift, the rescue was only made possible on November 17.

Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, the Navy’s spokesperson, disclosed in a statement on Monday that the fishing vessel had encountered fuel depletion, causing a deviation from its course while en route from Bangul in Gambia to the Congo Kinshasa for delivery.

“The MFV AFKI, navigating from Bangul to the Congo Kinshasa, faced a critical setback when its propulsion engines suffered fuel depletion, compelling the vessel to drift off course near Sao Tome and Principe, eventually entering Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone,” Commodore Ayo-Vaughan explained, citing information from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Despite the vessel owner’s efforts to locate and rescue the AFKI proving unsuccessful, the Nigerian Navy’s vigilant surveillance pinpointed the vessel’s location approximately 72 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast. Subsequently, the NN swiftly deployed the NNS Dorina, utilizing its Maritime Domain Awareness facilities for a comprehensive Search and Rescue Operation.

“After extensive efforts and meticulous monitoring, the NNS Dorina successfully located the distressed vessel 17 nautical miles off Pennington terminal on November 17, 2023, around 2000 hours,” the naval spokesperson detailed.

Upon boarding the vessel, the Navy discovered two foreign crew members aboard, prompting a thorough inspection to ascertain the vessel’s condition and rule out any illicit activities.

“Following careful inspection by the NNS Dorina’s Boarding Party, it was confirmed that the vessel was free of any incriminating items or activities,” Commodore Ayo-Vaughan stated. “In an act of humanitarian assistance, the Nigerian Navy then towed the MFV AFKI, alongside the NNS IKENNE, to Escravos in Delta State.”

At Escravos, the NN Forward Operating Base took custody of the Fishing Vessel, initiating administrative procedures in preparation for handing over the vessel to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Nigerian Navy’s swift and effective response ensured the safe retrieval of the MFV AFKI after enduring nearly a month adrift at sea.