Six indigenes of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have regained their freedom after spending 12 harrowing days in captivity.The victims include a female and five males who were abducted on April 4, 2025, around 9 am, near the New Calabar River while traveling from Bille to Port Harcourt.
Speaking from their hospital beds, the victims recounted their ordeal to our correspondent, revealing that a ransom of twenty-eight million naira (₦28 million) was paid for their release. They disclosed that they were brutally tortured, beaten, and starved throughout their time in captivity.
According to the victims, their abductors claimed to be Ijaw youths from neighbouring State, alleging they were sent to kidnap and kill the people of Bille for aiding in the fight against illegal bunkering activities, popularly known as ‘kpofire’, in the region. They blindfolded us and took us deep into a thick mangrove.
They collected our phones, accessed our bank accounts through alerts, and withdrew all the money they could find. “They beat me accused me of being part of the surveillance team securing the oil facilities. I told them no am not! They tortured me withdrew all my money in my account about one million naira”, Okupiriye Effiong lamented.
Ibikura Abel, also recounted his ordeal. “Initially, the kidnappers demanded sixty million naira (₦60 million) as ransom, but after negotiations, ₦28 million was paid before our release. “For 12 days, we were given no food or water — only raw garri twice, without anything to drink it with. We survived by God’s grace.
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The victims called on the government to urgently provide increased security presence along the waterways, proposing that gunboats or military personnel be stationed at intervals of 200 meters on the Bille waterways. They stressed that their lives were in constant danger due to the rising insecurity in the riverine areas.
“Government should deploy gunboats into the creeks, not just the open ocean. They should come to our rescue or empower community vigilantes to provide security,” one of them pleaded. They further lamented that previous community policing efforts had kept the rivers safe until the government disbanded them, leading to a resurgence in pirate and kidnapper attacks.
“Three years ago, when the river was safe, it was because of community policing. Now, without it, we are exposed and living in fear,” they said. The victims also urged the authorities to investigate those behind the attacks and take decisive action to protect Bille people and travelers on the waterways.
“Today, by God’s grace, we returned alive. But the next victims may not be lucky,” they warned. The also lamented that the constant pirate attacks has affected their businesses as they close from daily business activities early.
