By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Suspected pirates have attacked a passenger boat between Degema and Akuku-Toru waterways in Rivers State, kidnapping five passengers.
The boat was reportedly travelling from Bille in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State to Port Harcourt when it came under attack.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said five out of the six occupants of the boat were whisked away to an unknown place by the pirates.
The Executive Director of Youths Environmental Advocacy Center, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene in a statement said one of the occupants,a woman, took ill and was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
The statement said: “The boat that was attacked by the pirates and people taken hostage was sailing from Bille to Port Harcourt. Six people were on board but five were taken hostage.
” The sixth person, an early woman is reported to have been sick and was heading to Port Harcourt for medical attention.
“The YEAC-Nigeria volunteers also reported that according to the woman and freed boat driver, the elderly woman pleaded with the pirates for her to be freed on her health and age grounds and the pirates heeded her request and freed her and the boat driver.
“The pirates are said to have thus, freed the boat driver to take the woman to Port Harcourt while they evacuated five others into their own boat and zoomed off with them.
“All those onboard the both including the driver are all natives of Bille Kingdom.”
The Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Isreal People, confirmed the development, saying the incident actually took place near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru LGA.
He said: “Yes it happened within Aboneme to Cawthorne Channel. Six of them including the driver were kidnapped.
“The police is aware because we reported it already. But since then we have nit heard anything. We are are calling for their unconditional release. Let the waterways be safe for our people to travel freely.”
The Nation