13 passengers missing as pirates hijack boat in Rivers

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

No fewer than 11 travellers are reportedly missing, as suspected pirates hijacked a passenger boat carrying about 20 travellers along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State on Thursday.

Out of the 20 passengers onboard, the Bonny Local Government Council said it has rescued nine of them in a frantic search to rescue others missing.

Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, said the rescue was in collaboration with security agencies.

Claude-Wilcox in a statement by his media aide, Boma Waribor, on Friday, disclosed that 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.

The statement read: “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 neighbouring LGAs and the security agencies to arrest the situation.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, has expressed concerns about the continued pirate attacks in the State,.

Chairman of the Union, Rivers Commercial District, Israel Wariboko, in his reaction, decried the recurring attacks by despite the efforts of state government to stop the trends.

He said that the pirates came out with different strategies in each operation, noting that the criminals reside in the mangrove.

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 somehow 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.”

Wariboko, therefore, called for more security presence along the waterways to curb the incessant attacks, saying that the latest attacks had been reported to the police.

He further said: “You will recall that after our protest and the donation of gun boats by the governor (Siminalayi Fubara), we have not complained about pirate attacks along our sea routes.

“Just recently, they have deviced another means. I will go out there and find out what really happened, to know whether the boat followed the real route or diverted to another route.

” The marine police is aware of the matter and I know that they are handling it. As a union too, we have sent a search party twice today. “