Suspected pirates off-load travelers on Rivers high sea, carte away boat, maritime workers lament lack of gunboats for police operations

There was pandemonium as sea pirates accosted a passenger boat in Rivers State off-loaded the occupants by the mangroves and made away with the boat. The incident was reported at Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state, Tuesday evening. It was gathered that the boat had left Abonnema water front and was conveying passengers to Soku in the same LGA when the devil minded pirates struck at an area at the heart of the vast creek. A source in the area, Mr. Tekena, disclosed that the sea pirates had forced the traveller to alight into the mangroves, abandoned them and made away with the boat. He said “Travellers were attacked by sea pirates on the high sea. They were travelling to Soku in Akuku-Toru. The pirates forced all the passengers to come down into the mangrove and they made away with the boat.”

The Chairman Maritime Workers Association,  Rivers State, Israel Pepple, confirmed the development, describing it as an unfortunate situation. Pepple said “Information reaching us at our state office is that some sea pirates attacked our boat that is  moving from Abonnema to Soku on the river. Passengers now are afraid to travel to Soku.” He stated that when he called the Officer in Charger of Marine Operation in the state, that the officer stated that there was no gunboat available for the operation.

Pepple said “as we complain, the marine police does not have any gunboat to operate. I spoke with the OC in charge of marine operations he said that there is no gunboat for them to use at the moment in that area. He said they have only four gunboats in the state. We want the intervention of the state governor, to provide gunboats for police marine operations.” When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, could not confirm the development.