NIGERIA;Pirates Hijack Passenger Boat In Rivers, 13 Passenger Missing

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Thirteen travellers have been declared missing after suspected sea pirates hijacked a passenger boat along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State on Thursday.

The attack, which involved a boat carrying 20 passengers, has raised fresh concerns over the increasing insecurity along the state’s waterways.

Authorities have confirmed that nine passengers were rescued through the swift intervention of security operatives, while efforts are ongoing to locate the missing individuals.

The Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Claude-Wilcox, disclosed that the boat driver defied operational guidelines by passing through Kilometer 10, a route known for pirate activity and deemed unsafe for commercial transport.

In a statement issued by her media aide, Boma Waribor, Claude-Wilcox assured that security agencies were working in collaboration with neighbouring local governments to address the situation.

She urged residents and relatives of the victims to remain calm while search and rescue operations continued.

The incident has drawn concern from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, which expressed worry over the persistence of pirate attacks despite ongoing security efforts.

The chairman of the union’s commercial district, Isreal Wariboko, noted that the criminals continually change their tactics to evade security patrols. He explained that they often hide in the mangroves and monitor the movement of security personnel, striking when they detect weak spots in surveillance.

Wariboko emphasized the need for sustained security presence, stating that although past interventions such as the donation of gunboats had provided temporary relief, the latest attack signaled a resurgence of piracy along the waterways.

He confirmed that the matter had been reported to the police and that a search team had already been dispatched twice to locate the missing passengers.