There was tension in the waterways between Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State as five people were abducted during an attack on a passenger boat.
The attack was carried out by hoodlums suspected to be pirates during a trip from Bills in the December Local Government Area of Rivers State to Port Harcourt.
It was gathered that the suspected pirates abducted five of the six passengers in the boat.
Confirming the incident, the Executive Director of Youths Environmental Advocacy Center, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene said, “The boat that was attacked by the pirates and people taken hostage was sailing from Bille to Port Harcourt. Six people were on board but five were taken hostage.
“The sixth person, an early woman is reported to have been sick and was heading to Port Harcourt for medical attention.”
He further said, “The YEAC-Nigeria volunteers also reported that according to the woman and freed boat driver, the elderly woman pleaded with the pirates for her to be freed on her health and age grounds and the pirates heeded her request and freed her and the boat driver.
“The pirates are said to have thus, freed the boat driver to take the woman to Port Harcourt while they evacuated five others into their own boat and zoomed off with them.
“All those onboard, including the driver, are all natives of the Bille Kingdom.”
When contacted, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Isreal People, confirmed the incident, saying the incident actually took place near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru LGA.
People said the six people, including the driver, had been abducted on Saturday, saying the matter had been reported to the police but that the travellers were still in captivity.
He stated, “Yes it happened within Aboneme to Cawthorne Channel. Six of them, including the driver, were kidnapped.
“The police are aware because we reported it already. But since then we have not heard anything. We are calling for their unconditional release. Let the waterways be safe for our people to travel freely.”
