By Helen Okechukwu, JKNewsMedia Reporter
NINETEEN PASSENGERS, including two boat operators, were kidnapped by sea pirates during a brazen daylight assault on the Isaka River in Okrika, Rivers State, prompting swift response efforts from the police and a strike threat from the maritime union.
Police launch rescue efforts for 19 kidnapped in River’s boat attacks as maritime union warns of shutdown over worsening insecurity on Isaka River.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the abductions, which occurred on Tuesday, and assured the public that rescue operations were underway.
Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko disclosed that security teams had been mobilised to recover the victims and pursue the kidnappers.
“The command is making frantic efforts to ensure the victims regain their freedom unharmed, arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime, and bring them to justice,” Iringe-Koko said Thursday night when contacted by JKNewsMedia.
Initial reports indicated that 13 people were kidnapped, but union sources later revealed a higher number.
Israel Pepple, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (Rivers State Chapter), said 19 people had been seized in total, including boat drivers, following coordinated attacks on three separate vessels within a span of four hours.
“Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., three boats were attacked, 19 persons were kidnapped, and goods and property were hijacked,” Pepple stated.
He added that valuables worth a substantial amount were stolen, intensifying frustration within the maritime community.
Calling the attack a “routine action,” Pepple decried the deteriorating security conditions along the waterways, describing the situation as intolerable. He warned that the union was considering a total operational shutdown in protest.
“We will not be far from downing our tools to attract the government to take action,” Pepple said. “The reoccurring attack has become a rising safety concern that can no longer be tolerated.”
He disclosed that an emergency meeting was being planned to implement long-term safety measures for maritime workers and passengers navigating the region.
Pepple further criticised the lack of logistical support for security agencies.
Despite the presence of gunboats nearby, he claimed, operations were hindered by fuel shortages.
“The irony of it all is that there are gunboats, but no fuel to operate them.
The gunboats are there close to this office, but no logistics are provided for them,” he said.
With the situation rapidly escalating, both police authorities and union leaders have called on the state government and security agencies to act decisively to prevent further kidnappings and restore order on Rivers State’s waterways.
