• Bakassi Boys Turn Sea Robbers
• Attacked Two Fishing Trawlers
• Killed One Crew, Injured Five Others
Sea robbers allegedly belonging to the dreaded militant group the “Bakassi Freedom Fighters” last week unleashed attacks on two Nigerian fishing trawlers in Cross Rivers state, killing one sailor and maiming five others in an operation which, even though lasted some hours, no help came the way of the sailors.
Sources gave the identity of the dead sailor as Etim Benjamin, while the identities of the ill-fated fishing vessels were given as: M .F Olokun 4 and M. F Kulack 7. Both vessels belong to a Lagos-based fishing company identified as Barnaly Fisheries.
The corpse of the deceased sailor and the vessels were brought back to Lagos last week amidst condemnation by members of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association whose national president, Capt Thomas Kemewerigha confirmed that his younger brother is the chief engineer on one of the vessels.
Curiously however, Police in Lagos were also said to have arrested the uninjured sailors who managed to sail the trawlers back to Lagos for questioning; a development which was condemned by the merchant navy association. The arrests were reportedly at the behest of Barnaly Fisheries
Although, no reasons were given for the arrest, but the association has vowed to ensure that none of its members is left to face unnecessary action.
Also confirming the incident, the Administrative Secretary of the Fishing Zone of the Association, Comrade Kingsley Enahoro lamented that attack on fishing trawlers have taken a dangerous dimension as unrepentant militants have also joined the so called freedom fighters using speed boats and sophisticated weapons to attack fishing vessels.
He told our correspondent that the attacks have become a daily occurrence, adding that the waters between Calabar and Cameroon areas have become a no- go area for vessels.
He lamented that despite the presence of some security agencies within the area, the attacks on fishing trawlers have gone on unabated.
Specifically, he disclosed that the latest attacks were the climax of several days of unchallenged attacks on Nigerian fishing trawlers. “Precisely on the 15th of July, 2010 at about 1100hrs, they attacked several fishing trawlers around Kwaibo area and they came back on the 24th July 2010 at about 1245hrs around the Debuja area of Cameroon which resulted in the death of a sailor, while several others were wounded and are currently in critical condition in a Camerounian hospital with bullet wounds”.
According to him, the sea robbers “attack fishing trawlers, dispossessing the crew of all their money, food and personal effects, they masquerade as Bakassi Freedom Fighters, terrorizing the waters.”
He lamented that the attacks were continuous despite joint security meetings between representatives of the Nigerian Merchant Navy headed by Captain Thomas Kemewerigha and State Security Service and governments of both Akwa -Ibom and Cross River State.
Shipping Position Weekly recalls that recently a pilot in the service of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was kidnapped by militants- turned- sea robbers while attempting to pilot a ship through the Calabar channels.
Simply identified as Captain Liman, he was reportedly held captive for five days as his captors were awaiting ransom to be paid by NPA.
He was only released after series of security meetings were held between the NPA, officials of State Security Services (SSS), officials of the Cross Rivers state government and the Cross Rivers state chapter of the Nigerian Merchant Navy and Water Transport Senior Staff Association.
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