A passenger boat carrying over 20 travellers have been hijacked by suspected pirates Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State on Thursday. Although, the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of the state, Hon Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, confirmed that nine passengers have been rescued after the attack. The council chairman, who noted that the search and rescue was in collaboration with security agencies, said the process is on to rescue other victims. Claude-Wilcox, who disclosed this in a statement by his media aide, Boma Waribor, Friday, said the driver of the passenger boat went contrary to the rules to pass through kilometer 10, which is a prohibited channel for commercial boat drivers.
He said “security briefing at the disposal of the Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, indicates that a passenger boat comprising 20 persons enroute Bonny was intercepted this afternoon by Sea Pirates around the precincts of Isaka in Okrika Local Government Area. However, it should be noted that nine persons have been found and returned to Port Harcourt through the timely intervention of Government Security operatives who are currently up and about and have intensified efforts to rescue the remaining 12 passengers. It should be noted that preliminary findings reveals that the Boat Driver disobeyed the rules and passed through Kilometer 10, a prohibited channel for commercial Boat Drivers.
“The relatives of the victims and the public are urged to be calm as the Bonny Local Government Council is seriously collaborating with neighboring LGAs and the security agencies to arrest the situation. However, the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter, has regretted the continued pirate attacks in the State. The Chairman of the Union, Isreal Wariboko, noted that the pirates have adopted different strategies in each of their operations, nothing that the miscreants reside in the mangroves. He said: “Of course you know these boys. When they know that there is security in this area they go to another area to operate. They are criminals. The truth of the matter is that they are in that they are some how in the mangrove and they monitor activities of security agencies and movement of every individual. So they come out when they see that the place is a little bit free.” Sometimes security can be at the front and they operate behind. Sometimes when they know that they are there, they go ahead of the security. That is the way they operate. As long as they are in the mangrove we will continue to see this type of attacks once in a while.”
Pirates hijack passenger boat in Rivers, 13 travellers missing
