 remain unaccounted for following their abduction by sea pirates in Bille Kingdom, located in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.){kind=link}
Ten students who were en route to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) remain unaccounted for following their abduction by sea pirates in Bille Kingdom, located in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The students, along with three other individuals, were reportedly kidnapped on May 6 while traveling along the Bille-Port Harcourt waterway to their examination center.
Armed attackers hijacked their boat and took them to an undisclosed location.
In response to the incident and ongoing insecurity in the region, a large group of women from Bille staged a protest at the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt. Clad in black clothing, they decried the frequent pirate assaults on their waterways, which they say endanger lives and disrupt daily activities.
The demonstrators carried placards bearing messages such as “Don’t Allow Sea Pirates Take Over Our Waterways,” “Bille Kingdom Says No to Sea Piracy,” and “Our WAEC Candidates Are Constantly Targeted.”
They appealed for urgent intervention to secure their water routes.
The protesters described the Bille-Port Harcourt route as increasingly unsafe, claiming that criminal elements operate freely, often abducting, harassing, or even killing travelers.
They submitted a petition to the state government, urging Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, to deploy marine police and naval patrols to protect the area.
Tamunoseki Bob-Manuel, one of the protest leaders, expressed deep concern for the kidnapped students, stating that it had been a week since the attack, and no word had been heard from the victims.
“Thirteen people, including ten students, were taken. Their families are in anguish. We need the government to step in and help us,” she said.
Another protester, Blessing, recounted a separate kidnapping incident involving her mother and eight others. She said a ransom of N30 million was paid, in addition to fuel, water, and food, before the hostages were released.
She added: “Now they’ve taken children preparing for WAEC. These students have missed their exams. This cannot continue.”
A representative of the Government House, who received the protest on behalf of Vice Admiral Ibas, assured the women that their concerns would be relayed to the appropriate authorities and that the state would take appropriate steps to address the issue.