Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Nine persons in a passenger boat who were kidnapped in the early hours of September 2, along Bonny-Port Harcourt waterways by gunmen suspected of Sea pirates have reportedly regained their freedom.
Comrade Israel Waribo Pepple, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has confirmed the release of the victims but did not reveal if the ransom was paid.Recall that the incident happened at about 7 am when the passenger boat was sailing from Bonny to Port Harcourt.
The people were abducted close to an area called the Dutch island around 0700hrs this morning.
At the time of filing this report, however, the Rivers State Police Command has not confirmed the freedom of the victims.
The recall could be made that the Maritime Workers Union Nigeria Members of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Rivers Commercial District, led by Comrade Israel Waribo Pepple had protested to Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the incessant attacks on members and passengers.
Pepple appealed to security agencies, especially the Navy double its efforts in securing the stretch of the Bonny-Port Harcourt route through regular patrols rather than concentrating on the route of the International Oil Companies, IOCs.
People narrated numerous incidents of kidnap of passengers for ransom.
He said further that the sea pirates have been on a rampage kidnapping hijacking boats and abducting passengers.
Comrade Pepple expressed displeasure over what he described as the inability of security agencies to do the needful to protect the lives and property of law-abiding citizens operating on the sea routes.
He stated that, what they do, rather, is to focus attention mostly on International Oil Companies (IOCs), their equipment and workers due to the economic advantage they derive therefrom.
People also said: “To this end, we call on the Governments to save the souls of our teeming members, whose means of sustenance have consistently been threatened, and have lost so much to sea pirates and men of the under-world.”