The Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (NNFOB) in Bonny, Rivers State, successfully rescued 20 passengers, including women and children, from a pirate attack on the Port Harcourt-Bonny sea route. The Navy thwarted the abduction attempt after uncovering a new strategy employed by pirates to target travelers.
Commander Maksum Mohammed of the NNFOB in Bonny confirmed the incident on Monday during a briefing with newsmen. He revealed that intelligence reports suggested some boat operators might be collaborating with pirates to execute these attacks.
According to Commander Mohammed, the pirates’ tactics involve the boat operators deliberately faking engine trouble mid-journey, particularly at the entrance of a river on the high sea. While pretending to fix the supposed issue, pirates swoop in to abduct the passengers and whisk them into the creeks, where they demand ransom.
He explained that the recent incident involved a boat with 20 passengers, including infants, which narrowly avoided disaster.
“This is a clear case of willful endangerment of passenger safety,” Mohammed remarked. “Why would any mariner in his right mind sail with passengers on board a boat with engines that were clearly faulty and unable to sustain an hour’s journey?”
He further elaborated on the dangers faced, stating, “Given the recent uptick in river attacks, what chance would these passengers have had if the pirates had intercepted them? It’s deeply unfortunate that travelers are exposed to such avoidable risks despite paying hefty sums.”
The commander highlighted that this particular boat had been spotted twice at locations known for pirate attacks, both times simulating engine failure in high-risk areas.
“We believe this may have been a setup,” Mohammed said. “Most of the kidnappings we’ve seen occur when boats pretend to have engine problems near river mouths. The criminals then seize the opportunity to abduct passengers. We encountered this boat simulating another engine failure in a location notorious for kidnapping incidents.”
To prevent further harm, the Navy evacuated the passengers and transported them safely in their own boats, continuing the journey.
Commander Mohammed called on the coastal state governments and local authorities to urgently deploy ferries along the Port Harcourt-Bonny route, offering a safer, sustainable, and subsidized mode of transport for passengers navigating these dangerous waters.
