Hoodlums suspected to be pirates have attacked a passenger boat in the waterways between Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, abducting five passengers.

It was gathered that the boat was travelling from Bills in the December Local Government Area of the state to Port Harcourt when the incident occurred.

A source said of the six people on board the boat, five were whisked to an unknown destination by the pirates.

Speaking, the Executive Director of Youths Environmental Advocacy Center, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene in a statement said one of the occupants of the boat, a woman took ill and was taken to the hospital for medical attention.

The statement reads, “The boat that was attacked by the pirates and people taken hostage was sailing from Bille to Port Harcourt. Six people were on board, but five were taken hostage.

” The sixth person, an early woman, is reported to have been sick and was heading to Port Harcourt for medical attention.”

He further said, “The YEAC-Nigeria volunteers also reported that according to the woman and freed boat driver, the elderly woman pleaded with the pirates for her to be freed on her health and age grounds, and the pirates heeded her request and freed her and the boat driver.

“The pirates are said to have thus freed the boat driver to take the woman to Port Harcourt while they evacuated five others into their own boat and zoomed off with them.

” All those onboard including the driver, are all natives of Bille Kingdom.”

When contacted, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Isreal People, confirmed the incident, saying the incident actually took place near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru LGA.

People said the six people, including the driver, had been abducted since Saturday, saying the matter had been reported to the police but that the travellers are still in captivity.

He stated, “Yes, it happened within Aboneme to Cawthorne Channel. Six of them, including the driver, were kidnapped.

“The police are aware because we reported it already. But since then, we haven’t heard anything. We are calling for their unconditional release. Let the waterways be safe for our people to travel freely.”

Also, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying the investigation is ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend the miscreants.

She stated, “Yes, the incident did occur. The Commissioner of Police has mandated the Officer-in-Charge of the Marine Unit, along with his team and the Tactical Team Commander, to ensure that the victims are rescued unharmed and that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are apprehended and brought to justice.” (The PUNCH)