Reports reaching Emerald News are indicative that sea pirates have overtaken the waterways in Bayelsa state. Security agencies and the state governor’s special adviser on security are finding it difficult to combat the sea thieves. They were reported to have kidnapped many persons, robbed passengers and went away unhurt. So pathetic!!
There is rising panic among indigenes of the Nembe, Brass and Akassa areas of Brass and Nembe local government areas of Bayelsa state following attacks on commercial boats and kidnapping of a 64-year-old chief and three others.
Emerald News learnt that the rising incidence of attacks by sea pirates along the various routes of Odioma, Nembe, Brass and Akassa in Bayelsa East Senatorial District is ongoing without security check.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Maritime Union, Comrade Ogoniba Ibingansi confirmed to journalists on telephone that the waterways are no longer safe and all boats operating along Odioma, Akassa, Brass and Nembe are no longer loading and passengers have been asked to turn back.
Ibingansi, who also confirmed that the security agencies including the special adviser on security matters to the Bayelsa state government are battling on ways to counter the pirates, “the boys have taken over the water routes.”
Our correspondent learnt that the sea pirates have been operating along the waters sinc last Sunday, “It is funny. They attack some boats and rob all the passengers on Monday evening. They abducted three persons. They attacked another boat and kidnapped four. They used the earlier boat to release the first three persons.”
It was gathered that on Monday evening, along the Yenagoa-Akassa in Brass local government route, an Igbo businessman was stripped naked and taken away by the heavily armed sea pirates.
The sea pirates were reported yesterday to have surfaced in Odioma community and attacked a boat heading to Nembe around 2pm. They took away one person.
They attacked another boat heading to Brass from Nembe and abducted three persons.
