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13 travelers ‘vanish’ as pirates hijack boat in Rivers
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Suspected pirates hijacked a passenger boat carrying 20 travellers along the Bonny-Okrika waterways in Rivers State on Thursday.
This came as the Bonny Local Government Council said it had rescued nine of the passengers, while a frantic search is on to rescue the others.
The Bonny LG Chairman, Anengi Claude-Wilcox, said the rescue was in collaboration with security agencies.
Claude-Wilcox, in a statement by his media aide, Boma Waribor, on Friday, said the driver of the passenger boat went contrary to the rules to pass through kilometre 10, which is a prohibited channel for commercial boat drivers.
The statement reads, “Security briefing at the disposal of the Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, indicates that a passenger boat comprising 20 persons enroute Bonny was intercepted this afternoon by Sea Pirates around the precincts of Isaka in Okrika Local Government Area.
“However, it should be noted that nine persons have been found and returned to Port Harcourt through the timely intervention of Government Security operatives who are currently up and about and have intensified efforts to rescue the remaining 12 passengers.
“It should be noted that preliminary findings reveal that the Boat Driver disobeyed the rules and passed through Kilometer 10, a prohibited channel for commercial Boat Drivers.
“The relatives of the victims and the public are urged to be calm as the Bonny Local Government Council is seriously collaborating with neighbouring LGAs and the security agencies to arrest the situation.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, has expressed worry over the continued pirate attacks in the State.
The Chairman of the MUWN, Rivers Commercial District, Isreal Wariboko, while reacting decried the incessant attacks despite the efforts of the state government to stop the trends.
He noted that the pirates came out with different strategies in each operation, nothing that the miscreants reside in the mangrove.
According to him, “Of course you know these boys. When they know that there is security in this area, they go to another area to operate. They are criminals.
“The truth of the matter is that they are in that they are somehow in the mangrove, and they monitor the activities of security agencies and the movement of every individual. So they come out when they see that the place is a little bit free.”
“Sometimes security can be at the front, and they operate behind. Sometimes when they know that they are there, they go ahead of the security. That is the way they operate. As long as they are in the mangrove, we will continue to see this type of attack once in a while,” Wariboko said.
He, therefore, called for more security presence along the waterways to curb the incessant attacks, even as he said the latest attacks have been reported to the police.
He further said, “You will recall that after our protest and the donation of gunboats by the Governor, we have not complained about pirate attacks along our sea routes.
“Just recently they have devices another means. I will go out there and find out what really happened to know whether the boat followed the real route or diverted to another route.
“The marine police are aware of the matter, and I know that they are handling it. As a union, too, we have sent a search party twice today.”
The Nigerian Navy said its operatives attached to its frontline base, the NNS BEECROFT has rescued five persons attempting to travel out of Nigeria through illegal means.
The Commander of the NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams Aliu said the suspected stowaways were rescued rescued from the merchant vessel, MT CHINAFRIE HAPPINESS, which was travelling to India from the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Commodore Adams Aliu said the men were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal migration and strengthen maritime security.
According to the Nigerian Navy, the five men were discovered on Wednesday, June 17, concealed inside the rudder compartment of the vessel, explaining that a stowaway is a person who secretly boards a vessel with the intention of travelling illegally to another country without authorisation.
The suspects were safely evacuated by naval personnel and taken to NNS BEECROFT for preliminary investigation and profiling.
He said initial investigations identified the suspects as Segun Samuel Boyewa (31), Kingsley Chukwu (43), Joseph Judge (33), Moses Aletor (24), and Abdullahi Danlami (31).
Further findings revealed that the suspects had boarded MT CHINAFRIE HAPPINESS while it was berthed at Tin Can Island Port, intending to travel illegally to India.
The Navy said the handover to the Nigeria Immigration Service underscores the sustained collaboration among security agencies in addressing illegal migration and enhancing safety within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The Commanding Officer of NNS BEECROFT urged parents, guardians and community leaders to discourage young people from engaging in dangerous and unlawful attempts to board seagoing vessels in pursuit of irregular migration.
He reaffirmed the commitment of NNS BEECROFT to fulfilling the mission of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, by maintaining a highly motivated and professional naval force capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests, supporting joint operations, defending national sovereignty, and contributing to internal security.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Mr Fatai Tijani, has assured residents that a commercial area in the state remains safe following a bomb explosion suspected to be an Improvised Explosive Device, which triggered brief panic in the area.
Tijani gave the assurance on Monday, June 22, 2026 while addressing journalists at the scene of the incident at the Shoe Materials Market in Mushin, following a comprehensive sweep by security operatives.
According to him, the police received information about an explosion and immediately deployed Explosive Ordnance Disposal operatives to cordon off and secure the area.
“We promptly deployed our EOD team after receiving reports of an explosion. The area was cordoned off and thoroughly searched,” he said.
He explained that preliminary findings indicated that the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device planted under a vehicle.
Tijani said the device was placed beneath the passenger side of the vehicle and detonated when the engine was started.
“The IED was under the vehicle by the passenger side. It exploded when the vehicle was started,” he said.
According to him, one person sustained injuries in the incident and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
He said that the victim was in a stable condition.
The commissioner added that after a detailed sweep by EOD experts, no additional explosive devices were discovered in the area.
The police commissioner urged members of the public, especially residents and traders in the affected commercial area, to remain calm and resume normal activities.
He also stated that remnants of the explosive device had been recovered and taken for forensic examination as investigations continued.
The CP urged residents to remain calm and disregard rumours suggesting widespread insecurity in Lagos, describing these as false and misleading.
(NAN)
A building has collapsed along Slaughter Road, off Iwofe Road (Aker Junction) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Fortunately, no lives were lost as the structure was empty at the time of the incident.
All construction workers on site were confirmed safe, and no injuries or casualties were recorded.
Authorities are yet to determine the cause of the collapse, while concerns have been raised over construction standards and structural safety in the area.
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