Suspected pirates who attacked boats and abducted at least 13 people have been guaranteed capture by the Rivers State police.
The incident happened in the Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, along the Isaka River.
According to reports, the attack happened Tuesday afternoon while one of the boats was travelling to Bonny Island and the other was heading towards the Cawthorne Channel in Bille, which is located in the state’s Degema local government district.
This assurance was provided by Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokeswoman for the State Police Command, who confirmed the kidnapping and stated that the investigation was still underway.
She stated, “What we heard was that 13 passengers were abducted. But investigation is ongoing to rescue them and ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to book.”
The Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Israel Pepple, described the incident in detail and stated that the pirates also took millions of naira’s worth of property and products.
He said, “With the information we gathered, it was 13 persons, including the driver. The other boat was going to Bonny with goods; six people were kidnapped from that boat. So, six plus 13 makes 19.”
He said the union is contemplating downing tools to compel the government to act, noting that the attacks were getting rampant.
“Like we said last time, we will have no option because the thing is becoming a routine action, such that as they release one, they come back and kidnap again.
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“So it is more or less a business for them. So, I think that the Union will go into a meeting and whatever our decision is, we will implement it.
“We will not be far from downing our tools to attract the government to take action. You can imagine that just within 2 pm and 6 pm, three boats were attacked, 19 persons were kidnapped, and goods and property were hijacked.”
He called on the State Sole Administrator and the security agencies to come to their rescue and improve security along the waterways in the state.
Pepple bemoaned the failure to safeguard the rivers with the military gunboats that the Rivers State government had provided.
“The irony of it all is that there are gunboats, but no fuel to operate them. The gunboats are there close to this office, but no logistics are provided for them.
“So we are also calling on the Sole Administrator to try and do something because it is getting out of hand,” Pepple added.
