The Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has called on security agencies to crack down on pirates and sea robbers terrorising travellers along the state’s waterways, especially the Bonny axis.
There have been incessant attacks on passenger boats along the state’s waterways by armed sea robbers, who kidnapped many of their victims for ransom.
Expressing displeasure over the unchecked criminal activities against their operations, members of the Rivers Commercial District of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) trooped to the streets on Wednesday to protest against the development.
The chairman of MWUN in Rivers commercial district, Israel Waribo Pepple, said there had been incessant piracy attacks on members of the union on the waterways.
He said the nefarious activities of sea robbers had given them sleepless nights and held their operations hostage.
Pepple said that sea pirate attacks on the union’s members often led to most of them and their passengers being taken hostage or killed while carting away personal belongings, including member’s boats.
He noted: “On Thursday, August 22, 2024, a boat sailing from Bonny to Port Harcourt was attacked by unknown gunmen, who took five passengers to an unknown destination.
“Bille Boat was attacked, the attackers went away with the boat and engine, with other valuables belonging to the passengers.
“On August 24, a workers’ boat coming from Bonny to Port Harcourt was attacked by unknown gunmen, and two passengers were taken away, and to date, they are still under captivity.
“Recently, at Tourist Beach Unit, Port Harcourt, we also recorded the captivity of a driver, deckhand, and occupants in the boat with two police officers on escort.
“The unknown gunmen are demanding N10 million as a ransom for their release. These and many more are taking place in other units like Okrika, Kula, Bakana, Oyorokoto, Abonnema, etc,” he emphasised.
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 said security agencies only focused their attention on Multinational Oil Companies (IOCs), their equipment and workers due to the economic advantage they derive from them.
Pepple 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 underworld.”
“We urge the government to ensure the release of kidnapped passengers onboard our boats recently. We also seek the provision of gun/houseboats at strategic locations for random patrol on the waterways in the State.
“Provision of financial support to the affected passengers and boat operators have suffered great loss due to the unforeseen tragedy”.
Fubara, who received them at the Government House in Port Harcourt frowned on the attacks on boat operators and sea travellers and warned that his administration would no longer tolerate such criminality.
The governor reassured the commitment of his administration to the security of lives and property of all residents, indigenes, and non-indigenes, and promised to ensure that they would go about their activities without fear of molestation.
The governor, who was represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, commended them for performing their civic obligation by reporting criminality in their places of business to the authority.
He insisted that his administration was deeply interested in ensuring proper policing of every part of the state, saying the state had placed priority on peace, security of lives and property of residents.
He said: “The security of human beings and their property is one singular agenda of the government that this Governor has never joked with, and he is willing to do anything, even for the umpteenth time, to ensure that it is provided.
“The governor is interested in proper policing of our State. But, you know the community policing that you hear about; people think that it is for us to form police in communities. No.
“Every person here is a community police. Whatever you see, you report, and whatever you think that is not very right, you give information to the right places. So, what you have done now is a civic responsibility, and I want to tell you that it will not be taken lightly.
“So, to me, what you have done, you call it a protest, but it is not a protest. It is a civic responsibility, to show that having observed something, you are reporting it to the appropriate quarters.
“I want to assure you that this government will not leave any stone unturned to bring security to every person that is in this State.”
Fubara said, no right-thinking Rivers person would be happy about the wickedness of pirates on the sea routes.
He said the criminal elements were well-known and lived in communities among the people but nobody had been brave enough to provide information on how to apprehend them.
Fubara said: “Maybe, you are not sure that when you report, you will be safe. But you have to help the security agencies too with appropriate information.
“Bring information to the government, tell us about those people. This government does not condone bad habits. We do not harbour criminals in our midst.
