Pirates Kidnap Five passengers on Rivers Waterways

• Suspected pirates intercepted a passenger boat and abducted five individuals on the waterways in Rivers State
• It was gathered that the passengers were travelling from Port Harcourt to Bille Kingdom in the Degema local government area
• The Executive Director of YEAC, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, narrated how the kidnapping incident occurred over the weekend

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 7 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international

Port Harcourt, Rivers state - No fewer than five passengers have been abducted along the Port Harcourt-Bille waterways in Rivers State.

Suspected pirates reportedly intercepted, abducted the passengers, and took them to an unknown destination.

As reported by Vanguard, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) said the attack occurred over the weekend.

YEAC-Nigeria said members of its One Million Youth Volunteers Network of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters in the Bille community area reported the incident.

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The group made this known in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday, April 7, 2025.

Executive Director of YEAC, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the victims were kidnapped while traveling by boat from Port Harcourt to Bille Kingdom in the Degema Local Government Area.

Fyneface said the armed pirates operated a speedboat equipped with a 200HP engine

“As of Monday morning, when the incident was reported to our centre, the whereabouts of the kidnapped passengers remained unknown.”

The group urged the State Police Command and other relevant security agencies to secure the safe release of the abducted passengers.

They called on Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), Sole Administrator of the state, to prioritize security and the protection of lives and property along the waterways.

Legit.ng earlier reported that suspected pirates attacked a boat carrying 20 passengers along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State, prompting security concerns.

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Local authorities confirmed the rescue of nine passengers, while efforts continue to locate the remaining 11, amid reports that the boat driver violated a safety directive.

The Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria expressed concern over rising pirate attacks, urging increased security deployment to curb the threat along the state’s waterways.

Legit.ng also reported that the Zamfara state government confirmed the death of 40 people following a boat accident in the Bakin Kasuwa River, Gummi local government area.

Governor Dauda Lawal directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to launch immediate rescue and recovery efforts.

Governor Lawal expressed his condolences to the victims' families, pledging that the state government would take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Pirates kidnap some crew from Danish ship

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that pirates who seized a Danish oil tanker off Congo last week have abandoned the ship and taken some crew members with them, while the rest were found in good health, the ship's owner said.

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The Monjasa Reformer, which had 16 crew on board when it was boarded by pirates on March 25, was found by the French navy off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe in the Gulf of Guinea.

By the time the ship was located, "the pirates had abandoned the vessel and brought a part of the crew members with them," Monjasa said in a statement.

Source: Legit.ng