Rivers Police keep mum 24 hours after Sea pirates hijack two boats of about 24 passengers

 …Bonny LGA Chairman, David  Irimagha expresses worry whereabouts of passengers

Daniel Efe

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.

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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.