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Pirates assaults passenger vessel in Rivers, kidnap five
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.”
News
Finally , Lagos Court frees Quadri, young Nigerian who stood before Obi’s convoy in viral photo
The Apapa Magistrate Court, Court 9 sitting at Orege, Ajegunle – Sikiru Adagun Courthouse, has discharged and acquitted Alabi Quadri, the young Nigerian who became a national symbol of courage during the 2023 general elections, for standing boldly in front of the convoy of then-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
He was discharged and acquitted of conspiracy to commit felony and armed robbery.
The court held that he has no case to answer.
Quadri was brought to court on Thursday, April 17, 2025, after spending months in Kirikiri Prison, Lagos.
The Nigerian Correctional Service produced Quadri at the Apapa Magistrate Court, located at Orege, Ajegunle—Sikiru Adagun Courthouse (Court No. 9).
Quadri’s case was initially slated for a hearing on April 28, 2025.
However, human rights lawyer and activist Inibehe Effiong had revealed that both he and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) requested that the date be moved forward, and the court granted the application.
Quadri gained widespread attention after a viral video showed him, a teenage boy at the time, fearlessly standing before Peter Obi’s campaign convoy—a moment many Nigerians interpreted as a symbol of youthful defiance and hope during a tense election period.
The media reported that Effiong revealed that Alabi’s recent painful descent into the Nigerian prison system was not due to any major crime but rather a result of prolonged malice and resentment harboured by some self-acclaimed ‘area boys’ (thugs) in his neighbourhood.
According to the lawyer, these individuals felt entitled to a portion of the unexpected attention and goodwill, including financial support, that Alabi received following his moment in the spotlight during the 2023 presidential campaign.
Effiong, who recently visited the Apapa Magisterial Court in Lagos alongside Alabi’s mother and legal colleagues, stated that Alabi’s journey to Kirikiri prison was not only heartbreaking but appeared to be the outcome of a vendetta fuelled by local ‘area boys’ who felt entitled to the financial support Alabi received after his viral moment.
Effiong revealed that Alabi was abducted in January near his home while returning from work by the ‘area boys’ who had been threatening him.
They allegedly took him to Amukoko Police Station (popularly known as Pako Police Station) and accused him of being involved in street fights.
However, Alabi was then arraigned before a Magistrate Court along with four other individuals, said to be complete strangers to him, on allegations of conspiracy to commit armed robbery with cutlasses.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged victims were robbed of N579,000, comprising cash and four mobile phones.
Effiong also emphasised that despite being a minor, Alabi had been detained with adults at Kirikiri since January, pending legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family residence in Kogi was reportedy invaded by gunmen around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, leaving damaged windows but no injuries.
The incident happened at her hometown residence in Obeiba-Ihima, located in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Sources familiar with the event said the attackers arrived around 1:00 a.m. Armed with cutlasses and guns, they damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area. At least three men were involved in the attack.
Senator Natasha’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched a preliminary investigation.
The reason behind the attack is still unknown, and as of now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not released any official statement. She represents Kogi Central in the Senate and is known as a vocal figure in Nigerian politics.
According to Zagazola Makama, police are still trying to figure out what motivated the attackers and are working to find those responsible.
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