Suspected sea robbers have again abducted five boat travellers on the Onne-Bonny waterways in Rivers state.
SHIPS & PORTS reported yesterday that attacks by pirates and sea robbers have persisted in Nigeria and the larger Gulf of Guinea region despite the USD195 million Deep Blue project recently launched by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The Deep Blue project, launched three months ago, was touted by NIMASA and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as the answer to maritime crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
Chairman, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Rivers State Chapter, Henry Jumbo, confirmed on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that he received a distressed call on the attack that left five victims abducted.
Jumbo explained that 18 passengers were in transit on the boat when the pirates struck but took with them five of the passengers to an unknown hideout.
“This morning, we went with a search team and we got the remaining people. We are begging the government to come to our aid because the sea route, for now, is not safe. We are suffering. This incessant boat attacks is a big challenge for us,” he said.
Jumbo said the kidnappers were yet to make any contact, appealing to security agencies, especially the marine police to deploy operatives along the Bonny-Onne sea route and surrounding waterways.