Pirates kidnap boat passengers in Rivers

No fewer than 10 passengers have been abducted when suspected pirates attacked a passenger boat on Bonny Waterway, Rivers State.

It was gathered that the boat was travelling from Bonny to Port Harcourt at about 10.00am on Monday when the incident occurred.

Though details of the incident could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, the maritime workers union in the State confirmed the incident.

The State Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Rivers Commercial District, Israel Pepple, said the abducted boat passengers were travelling from Bonny Island to Port Harcourt when the suspected pirates swooped on them.

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He said the incident had been reported to the police, calling on the government and relevant security agencies to beef up security on waterways to prevent incessant attacks on the sea.

He said , “Ten persons have been kidnapped while travelling from Bonny to Port Harcourt. And the others are still afloat in the River waiting for rescue.

“I said let me just draw the attention of the Rivers State Governor, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the Commissioner of Police that we visited last week that this is what has happened this morning again.”

Our correspondent reports that the latest incident came less than a week when maritime union members staged a protest to the Government House in Port Harcourt to lodge a complaint on the upsurge of pirates’ attacks on the waterways.

When contacted, spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.

She said investigation was ongoing to rescue the captives unhurt and apprehend the suspects.