Rivers workers lament as pirates abduct 13 boat passengers

The Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, has expressed worry over the continued pirate attacks in the state.

 According to the Chairman of the MUWN, Rivers Commercial District, Isreal Wariboko, pirates in the area have been operating with different strategies, disclosing that they reside in the mangrove.

Wariboko was reacting to the attack on a boat conveying 22 passengers by suspected pirates, on Thursday.

The pirates hijacked the boat along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in the state.

He decried the incessant attacks despite the efforts of the state government to stop the trend.

Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, Wariboko said the marine police was aware of the attack and was handling it, adding that the union had also sent a search party to rescue the abducted travellers.

He said, “Of course, you know these boys, they monitor the movement of the security agents in this area before they operate. They are criminals.

 “The truth of the matter is that they are somehow in the mangrove and they monitor the 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, the security can be at the front and they operate behind. Sometimes, 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 attack once in a while.”

Wariboko further said the maritime workers had not complained about pirate attacks along the sea routes after their protest and the donation of gunboats by the state governor.

However, the Bonny Local Government Council said it had rescued nine of the passengers in the hijacked boat, while frantic search was on to rescue the others.

The Chairman of the local government, Anengi Claude-Wilcox, said the rescue was in collaboration with the security agencies.

Claude-Wilcox, in a statement by his media aide, Boma Waribor, on Friday, said the driver of the passenger boat went contrary to the rules to pass through kilometre 10, which was 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 en route 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 the government’s 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 revealled that the Boat Driver disobeyed the rules and passed through Kilometre 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.