Pirates on Monday hijacked two passenger boats Abonnema-Kula waterways in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, killing a female passenger.
Chairman of the Nigeria Maritime Union Workers in Rivers State, Nigeria, Israel Pepple, said the boats were each carrying 12 passengers when they were attacked.
He said that most of them jumped into the river to escape abduction, adding that attacks along the waterways have resurfaced.
He said, “My unit chairman in Abonnema and that of the Kula unit called to my attention that two of their boats were hijacked by pirates.
“So the information they gave us initially was that a lady was also taken away from the 24 passengers.
“But at about noon, they called back to inform me that the lady was dead and that she was floating on the water.
“They later went and carried her. As I speak with you, she (corpse) is in Abonnema, and they have reported the matter to the marine police in Abonnema.”
He appealed to the state governor, Siminialayi Fubara, to prioritise security along the waterways.
“For now, we are talking about security. You have to secure the waterways. The waterways must be secured for us, our passengers, and goods to move.
“That is the most important thing. So let them beef up the security. We need more gunboats and increased security patrol from the joint task force, especially the checkpoints.
“We have earlier proposed that houseboats and security personnel be positioned strategically so that when this attack happens, they can communicate and stop these criminals from getting away.
“But if you go around, you will see that the houseboats are kept only where the Federal Government interests are and not the interests of the people.”
