Suspected Pirates Abduct Five Boat Passengers In Rivers

TUESDAY April 8, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng

Suspected sea pirates have abducted five passengers aboard a commercial boat travelling along the Degema–Akuku-Toru waterways in Rivers State.

The incident occurred while the boat was en route from Bille in the Degema Local Government Area to Port Harcourt, the state capital.

According to reports, the attackers intercepted the vessel near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area and whisked five of the six passengers away to an unknown location.

A source revealed that an elderly female passenger, who was reportedly ill and en route to Port Harcourt for medical attention, was spared by the assailants.

Speaking on the incident, the Executive Director of Youths Environmental Advocacy Center, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene, in a statement, said one of the occupants of the boat, a woman, took ill and was released by the kidnappers.

He 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 elderly woman, is reported to have been sick and was heading to Port Harcourt for medical attention.”

All those aboard the boat, including the abductees and the freed individuals, are natives of the Bille kingdom.

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 boat and zoomed off with them.

“All those onboard the boat, including the driver, are all natives of Bille Kingdom.”

When contacted, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Isreal People confirmed the incident, saying the incident happened near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru LGA.

People said the six persons, including the driver, were abducted since 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.”