A chief pilot attached to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in Calabar port whose identity was given as Captain Liman was kidnapped by men suspected to be sea-robbers. The incident occurred in the early hours of last week Saturday.
Captain Liman was said to have been kidnapped while piloting a ship into the Calabar port, although details of his kidnappers could not be obtained as at last week. It was revealed that the fate which befell Captain Liman was the climax of rising wave of piracy and sea robbery which has crept into Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers state axis immediately after the militants were disarmed.
Captain Liman was reportedly held captive for five days as his captors were awaiting ransom to be paid by the Nigerian port authority, it could however not be confirmed whether the rally ransom was paid but Captain Liman was released mid last week after series of security meetings was held between the Nigerian ports authority (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.
Sources close to the security agents hinted Shipping Position Weekly that it was a gridlock between sources close to the kidnappers and the officials of Nigerian ports authority; a high power delegation of NPA was dispatched from Lagos to broker peace, the delegation was led by NPA general manager security, Colonel Tahir.
Officials of NPA and the merchant navy confirmed the development to our correspondent in Port Harcourt, sources in Lagos also confirmed that Capt. Liman has been released and that an unspecified amount of ransom was paid.
Contacted by Shipping Position Weekly for confirmation, the national president, Nigerian Merchant Navy and Water Transport Senior Staff Association, Capt Thomas Kemewerigha lamented the rising state of kidnappings and sea robbery around Qua Iboe axis of rivers state since the amnesty deal was struck with the militant, he confirmed that in the last couple of weeks, not less that ten fishing trawlers were high jacked by sea robbers, he also confirmed that several of his members, merchant mariners were abducted, molested while valuable properties were stolen.
He pleaded with the Federal government, the State government, as well as the Nigerian administration and safety agency (NIMASA) to intervene on the issue.
It would be recalled that a Turkish cargo ship was attacked by sea-robbers off the Nigeria coast on the night of March 25, 2010 and three crew members were injured in the process.
According to the report, about 10 pirates armed with automatic weapons were said to have carried out the deadly act as they robbed the crew members of money and cell phone but fled after the ship began to make distress calls.
The ship’s cargo was not damaged in the attack but the two of the injured crew were Turkish and one was a Nigerian.
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