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More than 24
hours after daredevil gunmen suspected to be Sea pirates at about noon
yesterday, Thursday, September 26, hijack two boats along Port Harcourt-Bonny
route the Rivers State Police Command is yet to comment about the whereabouts
of about 24 passengers into the unknown destinations in the Mangroves.
Curiously
too, the Rivers Government has not reacted to hijack and eventual disappearance
of about 24 passengers without trace.
An
Eyewitness, Christain Ezekiel Hart, and an indigene of Bonny said one of the
two boats took off from Port Harcourt jetty, while the other also fully loaded
with passengers and goods were intercepted.
He said the
Passengers and crew were on smooth sailing until the armed pirates ambushed
them at a location on the high seas called “Yellow Platform”.
Speaking on
the disturbing development, Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area
of David Rogers Irimagha, confirmed the development, but explained that the
hijack was not carried out in Bonny territory but a place called Dutch Island
in Okrika local government area.
He said he is collaborating other local governments that are contiguous to Bonny local government area.
According to
Christain Ezekiel Hart, among those in the boat were two notable Bonny sons.
“As I
speak to you this about the 13th time this kind of criminal hijacking of boats
and passengers is happening this year making sailing on Port
Harcourt-Onne-Bonny waterways very unsafe for marine transportation.
“We are,
therefore, calling on the Maritime Security Agencies, and the State Government
to expedite the process of securing the Port Harcourt-Onne-Bonny route because
the lives of people are constantly in danger.”
At time of
filing this report the Rivers State Police Command has not officially reacted
to the latest incident.
It is worthy
of note however that when Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State was launching a
state security outfit codenamed “Operation Sting” on 26 July 2019, 76
patrol operational vehicles fitted with communication gadgets, 8 armoured
fitted gunboats, 2 Armoured Personnel Carriers for Police swift response
actions, and 450 hand-held mobile radios to enhance communication among the
security operatives were handed over to the security agents.
Seafarers
have consistently complained that they hardly see any of 8 armoured fitted
gunboats patrolling on the waterways.