Calabar Boat owners decry pirates attacks on speedboat on Calabar-Oron waterways

From Judex Okoro, Calabar

The Calabar Boat owners plying the Calabar- Oron route have raised the alarm over the incessant attacks on speedboat carrying passengers on the water ways.

The boat owners expressed dismay at the high rate of insecurity in the Calabar waters even when they payover N150,000 monthly for security.

During the first week of December last year,  one of the passengers, who was kidnapped in one of the boats, paid 250,000 to secure his release and the boat sized till today.

Yesterday,  some hoodlums suspected to be sea pirates kidnapped a speedboat carrying over 20 passengers to an unknown destination along the Calabar River.

The boat was said to have  departed the Marina Safe Journey harbour heading for Oron in Akwa Ibom State and was also loaded with goods.

Sources at the beach disclosed that the pirates may have taken the boat and the passengers  to the creeks and would demand for ransome before they are released..

Decrying the incident, one of the boat owners, who dont want his name on print, said the pirate attacks has been happening in the waters since 2014 and they have been protesting in vain to draw government’s attention to their plight.

He said the pirates are after the engine of the boats which cost over N2.5m for a second hand one.

According to him,  pirate attack in the waters has become a routine thing and they are no longer afraid of it because of it’s frequency.

He appealed to the government to come to their aid a to stem the rate of pirate attacks in the Calabar waters.

Accorsint to him, the high level of insecurity on the waterways is affecting their  business as passengers are gradually withdrawing from water transportation which is an alternative to deplorable road network between Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, said they are not sure yet.

Ugbo said: “I called our OC Marine and he said that’s what he heard and nobody haqs come to report to the police.

“The union lwaders are yet to report the incident officially, but nevertheless we are on the matter.

“The area is being combed and our men are on ground, nobody has come to complain but we are still on it.”