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Pirates assaults passenger vessel in Rivers, kidnap five
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Hoodlums suspected to be pirates have attacked a passenger boat in the waterways between Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, abducting five passengers.
It was gathered that the boat was travelling from Bills in the December Local Government Area of the state to Port Harcourt when the incident occurred.
A source said of the six people on board the boat, five were whisked to an unknown destination by the pirates.
Speaking, the Executive Director of Youths Environmental Advocacy Center, Dr Fyneface Dumnamene in a statement said one of the occupants of the boat, a woman took ill and was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
The statement reads, “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.”
He further said, “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 including the driver, are all natives of Bille Kingdom.”
When contacted, Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Port Harcourt Commercial District, Isreal People, confirmed the incident, saying the incident actually took place near the Cawthorne Channel in Akuku-Toru LGA.
People said the six people, including the driver, had been abducted since Saturday, saying the matter had been reported to the police but that the travellers are still in captivity.
He stated, “Yes, it happened within Aboneme to Cawthorne Channel. Six of them, including the driver, were kidnapped.
“The police are aware because we reported it already. But since then, we haven’t heard anything. We are calling for their unconditional release. Let the waterways be safe for our people to travel freely.”
Also, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying the investigation is ongoing to rescue the victims and apprehend the miscreants.
She stated, “Yes, the incident did occur. The Commissioner of Police has mandated the Officer-in-Charge of the Marine Unit, along with his team and the Tactical Team Commander, to ensure that the victims are rescued unharmed and that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are apprehended and brought to justice.”
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE, OPEP, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, have arrested a suspected kidnapper linked to the abduction of a resident in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
This was contained in a statement posted on X by the Nigerian Army.
The post identified the suspect as Buba Ali, 30, adding that he was arrested at about 12:45 pm on Sunday, August 9, at Binawa village in Kauru Local Government Area.
According to post, the suspect was arrested during a joint operation conducted by troops of Sector 7 OPEP and members of the CJTF.
It said the suspect was reportedly linked to the kidnapping of Alhaji Tasi, who was abducted in the village.
“Following his arrest, Ali was taken into custody and is currently being interrogated by security personnel.
“The ongoing investigation is focused on obtaining information that could lead to the identification and arrest of other members of the suspected kidnapping gang,” the Army said.
Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejected claims by an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
In a viral video, Sheikh Jingir, who was preaching to Muslims at an event, said “if you don’t want to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket, you should leave Nigeria because it belongs to us”.
The comment has continued to generate backlash online as Christians rejected the claim.
Reacting, Fani-kayode in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday night, said the cleric’s remark is unhelpful and untrue.
“Worse of all is the fact that it is highly provocative,” the former aviation minister said.
“Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided. Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country.
“She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength,” FFK added.
He further stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027 is gaining acceptance “only because of the calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength of our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and their ability to deliver and not because they are Muslims”.
“One day we may have a Christian/Christian ticket too because with God all things are possible,” he added.
The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the release of the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Moyowa Adejoorin, who was arrested in connection with a shooting incident at an All Progressives Congress, APC, rally in Ilesa.
The incident occurred on Saturday and reportedly left four people injured, including a teenager identified as Tobi Ilesanmi.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said Adejoorin was taken into custody after police officers arrived at the scene, secured the area and began collecting evidence.
According to Ojelabi, the commissioner’s vehicle was stopped at the location, where an Amotekun operative allegedly linked to the shooting was also found.
“Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene and cordoned off the area before some exhibits were recovered, which included expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps.
“Also, Mr Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command for questioning as part of the investigation process,” Ojelabi said.
The development came amid heightened attention to the incident after a video circulated on social media on Sunday showing Adejoorin leaving the police command.
Confirming the development, Ojelabi told Vanguard that the commissioner had been released on bail but said he was still awaiting clarification on the status of the Amotekun operative who was arrested alongside him.
“It is true that the commissioner has been released on bail today, but I am yet to clear the situation with the Amotekun personnel arrested with him,” he said.
Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting are ongoing.
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