Sea pirates terrorising waterways in Bayelsa State have killed an unidentified fisherman and injured several others at Brass Island, Brass Local Government Area during Monday attack on the fishermen at the river.
Daily Trust gathered that the victims who are said to be natives of the Ilaje ethnic group in Ondo State but residing in Brass Island had set out for fishing on the high sea when the criminals attacked them.
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Narrating his ordeal, one of the victims who survived the attack, Nuru Oriade, said the attackers came in speed boats numbering about six and set ablaze the fishermen’s boats after removing their engines.
He said, “We were fishing, dropping our nets on Monday morning when suddenly we saw about five to six-speed boats drew close to us and opened fire. They set ablaze some of the boats and took away the engines.
“They killed my brother who went along with me. I survived because I pretended to be dead,” he said.
Locals in the community told newsmen that they launched a sea search to rescue those who might have jumped into the river for safety as some family members were still missing.
The police spokesman in Bayelsa State, SP Asinim Butswat, confirmed the attack.
Sea pirates have been terrorising the coastal ways of the state over the years, and have killed and kidnapped several people doing business in the coastal communities while dispossessing many of their valuables.
