…sea pirates take over Bille-Port Harcourt waterways

…bandits demanded bread, other items as ransom – Victim’s relation

By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT: The whereabouts of ten students sitting in for the West Africa Council Examination, WAEC, who were reportedly kidnapped in Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State Rivers State have remained unknown.

The 10 WAEC students were kidnapped by the sea pirates terrorising Bille-Port Harcourt waterways alongside three other persons sometime on the 6th of May.

The victims were said to be travelling to their examination centre when the devil-minded pirates struck and took them to a yet-to-be-identified destination.

Following the development and other incidents recorded in the area, hundreds of women from Bille Kingdom stormed Government House in Port Harcourt, protesting against repeated sea pirate attacks on their waterway.

The women who stormed Port Harcourt in black attire said their waterways are unsafe as pirates kidnap, kill and molest their people who travel through the sea on a daily basis.

The angry women displayed placards with different inscriptions like, “Don’t Allow Sea Pirates Take Over Our Waterways”, “Bring Back Governor Fubara”, “Bille Kingdom says no to Sea Piracy,” “Our Husbands, Sons and Children Writing WAEC are always Kidnapped,” “Come to our Aid, Stop the Attacks and the Killings.”

The protesters, who Bille, coastal communities travelling in and out of their kingdom along the Port Harcourt-Bille waterway, are now dangerous, alleging that hoodlums operate on the sea with impunity.

The protesters went through the streets of Port Harcourt, stormed the Rivers State Government, and asked the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, to come to their aid.

The women in their protests letter, demanded immediate interventions of the state government through deployment of Security Patrols, requesting marine police and naval units along the Bille waterways to stand up against criminal activity and restore safety in the area.

One of the leaders of the protest, Tamunoseki Bob-Manuel said the people of the area live in fear, adding that they no longer travel at ease.

Bob-Manuel said since the kidnap of 13 of their children, including 10 secondary school students, their whereabouts are still unknown.

She said: “It is one week since sea pirates kidnapped 10 school children alongside the drivers. This thing happened on on Tuesday last week. The kidnappers attack the speed boat carrying 13 passengers and took them away into the creeks.

“None of them have not been found. Their families are in distress. The tragic event marks another escalation of threat along our waterways, endangering the lives of our people. We are calling on the state government to intervene. We are calling on the security to come to our aid.

Another protester, who gave her name as Blessing narrated: “My mum and eight other people were kidnapped recently on the same Bille waterways, and a ransom of N30m was paid. After that, the abductors requested a drum of fuel, water, and bread before they could release them. We sent all the items they requested before they were released.

“Then, just on May 6th again, they abducted children going to write WAEC. It means the children have missed their exams.”

However, receiving the protesters on behalf of Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibik Ete Ibas, the Government House Commandant, said the message would be communicated to the sole administrator, promising that the government would act accordingly.