Pirates attack speedboats, abduct six passengers in Bayelsa

By Simon Utebor, YenagoaSome unidentified kidnappers suspected to be sea pirates have attacked speedboats and abducted six passengers along the Okpoama/Odioma and Nembe/Brass waterways of Bayelsa State.It was gathered that abductions occurred simultaneously in two separate incidents on Tuesday.It was also gathered that a Chief, identified simply as Walter, from Odioma was reportedly kidnapped around the fishing port in Dasaba while Inerikuma Moses aka Holy Moses was abducted in the Okpoama creeks.Also, Alabo Elei, another victim, was reportedly kidnapped on his way from Nembe, though another version indicated that he was coming from Yenagoa, the state capital, when he was captured by the suspected pirates.The rampant abduction of people and passengers by sea pirates have paralysed marine transportation in the Nembe and Brass areas of the state.Maritime workers in the areas have suspended their operations, a development that has left boat passengers stranded.Read Also:Vessel hijack: FG closes case against 10 suspected piratesA publisher of a community newspaper, Atlantic Express, Chief Bomolayon Ereku, said he could not travel to Yenagoa from his country home in Akassa due to protests by maritime workers and boat drivers over the incident.Apart from the six persons abducted on Tuesday, some others have been held hostage by pirates in the last one week, a situation that has thrown residents in the coastal communities into panic.Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Mike Okoli, has ordered immediate manhunt for the kidnappers that attacked speedboats and abducted passengers on the Okpoma/Odioma on February 9, 2021.Spokesman for the command, Asinim Butswat, while confirming the development, said that the two separate incidents occurred simultaneously and that six passengers were allegedly Kidnapped by the sea pirates.He said operatives from the Marine Police, Nigerian Navy and Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, have been combing the creeks in joint operations to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the kidnappers.The command appeals to the good people of Bayelsa State to remain calm and volunteer useful information to enable the security agencies to fish out these hoodlums, he said.
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