A group of unknown gunmen suspected to be sea pirates on Saturday attacked a passenger speed boat near Kiberi-Bio along the Ogbia-Nembe-Brass waterway in Bayelsa State and allegedly took away four passengers – two women and two children.
In addition, the hoodlums allegedly carted away valuable items worth thousands of naira including the attacked boat.
The incident occurred barely 48 hours after the state chapter of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria suspended its strike over insecurity on the state’s waterways.
The state government had prevailed on the union’s leadership to suspend the strike, describing it as ill-advised because of “the numerous ongoing developmental and political activities which require marine transportation.”
“Dwindling revenue and resources, however, has made it extremely difficult for the state government to support acquisition of transport boats as planned,” a statement signed by the governor’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Bernard Kenebai, had explained.
It was learnt that the boat was travelling from Ogbia to Okpoama in Brass Local Government Area when the gun-weilding hoodlums struck at about 3pm on Saturday.
The bandits were said to have also made away with the speed boat after forcing the driver and the passengers on board to disembark into the mangrove forest.
“They also carried two women and two children away. We don’t know what they want to do with them,” a source who pleaded anonymity, said.
The source added that nobody was killed in the attack as the pirates did not fire a shot.
When contacted, Chairman of MWUN, Lloyd Sese, confirmed the attack on the Okpoama-bound passenger boat.
Sese, who justified the strike by members of the union, alleged that the government had been intimidating the union officials.
He said a meeting between the government and the union’s leadership would hold in Yenagoa this week following the suspension of the strike.
He said the union had warned it would shun the meeting if its national officials were not invited to to the meeting.
He added that the union had given them (government) three weeks to resolve the insecurity issue on the waterways or they would be forced to go on strike again.
When contacted, Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa Police Command, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, said he was not yet aware of the incident.
“I am not yet aware. Maybe because I was not in town during the weekend. I will find out,” Akhigbe said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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