Gunmen suspected to be sea pirates, on Monday evening, reportedly hijacked a passenger boat en-route to Port Harcourt from Kula with eight on board.
Rivers State Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Jonah Jumbo, who confirmed the incident to reporters said the passengers were kidnapped along the coastal Kula-Abonnema waterway.
Jumbo said that of the eight kidnapped persons, five are members of the maritime union in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state, who were on their way to Port Harcourt for a meeting.
He appealed to the perpetrators to release the victims unconditionally, even as he urged the state government and security agencies to intervene immediately.
He said, “The Kula unit and Abonnema unit of Maritime Workers Union were asked to come for a meeting in the state office here in Port Harcourt [on Monday].
“On their way from Kula, we got a complaint (report) that the officials who were coming for the meeting were kidnapped.
“All the passengers were kidnapped, including three others in the boat. Up till now, nobody has heard anything from the kidnappers.
“So, we are appealing to the general public, the government and security agencies to really help us and see how they can reach the kidnappers.”
Spokesperson of Rivers State Police Command SP, Nnamdi Omoni, said he is yet to be briefed on the kidnap.
