BY GODWIN ORITSE
LAGOS— A three-man robbery gang has hijacked a passenger boat that was conveying over 20 passengers, in Badore-Langbasa area of Lekki- Ajah.

However, several hours after the operation, a woman and her child who were among those abducted by the sea robbers were rescued on Epe waterways but the robbers escaped with the boat.

This was disclosed at a meeting between officials of Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, and operators of ferry services in Lagos.

Relating the incident, the boat owner, Mr Segun Sasoriyu, said the armed men boarded the boat and half way into the journey, one of them attacked the driver of the boat and a fight ensued.

During the fight, one of the robbers pulled out a gun and pushed the driver of the boat and his boat boys into the waters and sped away into the dark.

He said the matter had been reported to the Police, adding that the boat was yet to be found as at the time of the meeting with LASWA officials.

He said: “What happened is that, on that day, we picked some passengers who boarded the boat from Bayeku, and they said they were going down to Langbasa.

“In the middle of the water, one of them stood up and, hit the driver and in the process of struggling with them they brought a gun and pushed the driver and his boys into the water .

“There was a woman carrying a baby inside that boat on that day, they drove away with the woman and dropped her at Badore.

“It was this woman who called for rescue before other passengers were later rescued.”

The incident has created apprehension among ferry operators in Lagos.

Meanwhile, LASWA has warned boat operators against night travel, saying that the law bans any travel by water after 6 p.m.

The incident, Vanguard gathered occurred about 8 P M