Gunmen suspected to be pirates have hijacked a passenger boat conveying 20 travellers along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State.
It was gathered that 13 travelers were missing while seven others escaped after the attack that occurred on Thursday.
However, the Bonny Local Government Council said it rescued nine of the passengers while efforts were being made to free other victims.
The chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, said the rescue was in partnership with security agencies.
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Claude-Wilcox in a statement by his media aide, Boma Waribor on Friday lamented that the driver of the passenger boat disobeyed the order against conveying passengers through kilometer 10, a prohibited channel for commercial boat drivers.
The statement said: “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 enroute 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 Government 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 reveals that the Boat Driver disobeyed the rules and passed through Kilometer 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 neighboring LGAs and the security agencies to arrest the situation.
The Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria (MUWN) Rivers State chapter, expressed concern over the continued pirate attacks in the state especially along the Bonny waterways.
The Chairman of the MUWN, Rivers Commercial District, Isreal Wariboko decried the incessant attacks despite the efforts of state government to stop the trends.
He said hat the pirates came out with different strategies in each operation, adding that that the miscreants were living in the mangroves.
He said: “Of course you know these boys. When they know that there is security in this area they go to another area to operate. They are criminals.
“The truth of the matter is that they are in that they are some how in the mangrove and they monitor 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 security can be at the front and they operate behind. Sometimes when they know that they are there, 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 attacks once in a while”.
He called for more security presence along the waterways to curb the increasing attacks, saying that the latest incident has been reported to the police.
He said: “You will recall that after our protest and the donation of gun boats by the Governor, we have not complained about pirate attacks along our sea routes.
“Just recently they have devices another means. I will go out there and find out what really happened, to know whether the boat followed the real route or diverted to another route.
“The marine police is aware of the matter and I know that they are handling it. As a union too, we have sent a search party twice today.”