Operatives of a private security firm, Royal Fouche Security Services Limited, successfully rescued 19 boat passengers, who were abducted on May 6, 2025, along the Port Harcourt-Bille Waterways in Rivers State.
The victims, including eight teenagers who were abducted on the Isaka River in Okrika local government area of the state, were hijacked by suspected sea pirates who hijacked several passenger boats travelling to Bonny Island and Bille community in Degema local government of the state.
The teenagers, seven girls and one boy, were travelling to Bille, a riverine community, to sit for the ongoing West African Examination Council (WAEC) senior secondary school examination.
Their captors, who took them to an unknown destination, had demanded a N100 million ransom before the kidnapped boat passengers could be released.
However, a breakthrough came when another victim, who had previously paid a N10 million ransom, alerted the Amanyanabo of the Source, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, who promptly mobilised his security outfit for a rescue operation.
However, one of the victims, Corporal Salisu Ibrahim of the Nigerian Army, had earlier been taken away separately by the kidnappers and remains unaccounted for.
Speaking to the press before handing the rescued passengers over to operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dokubo-Asari, condemned the kidnappers’ actions as barbaric and inhumane.
He assured the public that those responsible, many of whom fled the scene, would be tracked down and brought to justice, just as those who were behind the killing of the late entrepreneur, Engr. Hope Moneymann Georgewill.
Issuing a stern warning to sea pirates, the traditional ruler declared that Rivers State would no longer serve as a haven for criminal elements on its waterways.
He reiterated his commitment to restoring safety to the state’s maritime routes. He highlighted the collaboration between the Amama Soldiers and national security agencies, promising similar success along the once-dangerous Emohua/Kalabari Road.
Dokubo-Asari said: “The waterways of Rivers State are safe for navigation. We call on the public to share useful information that can help prevent future attacks. Together, we will secure our communities.”
