The Nigerian Navy has rescued 20 crew members from a burning merchant vessel, MV Chimba Express, following a fire incident along the Calabar waterways on Monday, December 22, 2025.
The swift rescue operation began at about 1:00 p.m. when Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OSE, while on routine sea patrol, received a distress call from the distressed vessel. On arrival at the scene, naval personnel observed that some crew members had jumped overboard to escape the fire, while others were stranded on the exposed deck of the vessel.
Confirming the incident, the Director of Naval Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, said the rescue was carried out through a coordinated response involving personnel from NNS OSE, Naval Security Station 030, and Forward Operating Base Ibaka. He disclosed that 20 crew members were successfully rescued, while search operations were immediately launched for one missing crew member identified as the vessel’s Chief Engineer. According to him, there were 21 persons onboard the vessel at the time of the incident.
The Nigerian Navy stated that efforts are ongoing to locate the missing crew member. It added that the successful rescue underscored the operational readiness, professionalism, and commitment of the Navy to safeguarding lives and ensuring safety within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The Navy further attributed the effectiveness of the operation to the strategic leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), whose vision is focused on building a modern, agile, and professional naval force dedicated to maritime security.
