A lawmaker in Rivers State, Prince Wilcox was yesterday kidnapped along the Bonny River by sea pirates who attacked the boat he was traveling in to Port Harcourt.

Wilcox was abducted alongside two others while passengers in two other boats were robbed of their valuables including business commodities worth millions.

According to eye witness reports, two of the boats were traveling from Port Harcourt to Bonny Island while one was en route Port Harcourt from Bonny.

The lawmaker, who represents Ward 9 in the Bonny Legislative Assembly, was whisked away along two others, one of whom was said to be the owner of Ben Harry company in Bonny.

Inspite of the fact that the Bonny River, which has been described as the most critical component in the Gulf of Guinea security corridor, and the major entrance into Nigeria’s south-eastern economic hub, with all the components of Nigeria’s security architecture on ground in the area, it has, for the past years, remained the hotbed of sea pirates activities, which has negatively impacted the economy of the area.

It is lined with important landmarks such as the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne, Port Harcourt Harbour, Nigeria LNG plant, Shell Nigeria’s Bonny Crude Oil Terminal (BCOT), ExxonMobil’s Bonny River Terminal (BRT), amongst others.

Despite these important economic landmarks associated with the Bonny River, security has been lax there with sea pirates kidnapping an average of five persons every month. Security agencies in the area have yet to find a lasting solution to the horrifying trend of criminality along the River.

Goods worth millions are stolen from hapless passengers while women are raped in broad daylight on the sea and thrown into the chilling river. Countless lives have been lost to the fiendish activities of these daredevil hoodlums.

Recently, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike donated a gunboat to the Marine component of the state police command and handed over to the officer-in-charge of the Marine Police in Bonny by the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area. So far, it seems this has not yielded any results in terms of curbing the menace of sea pirates.

Kristina Reports reliably learnt that a joint security committee funded jointly by the oil and gas multinationals in Bonny Island was established to provide support to the agencies in the area to enhance their capability in dealing security threats in the area.

On his part, the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI, CON, also set up a security committee to liaise with the security agencies to fashion out modalities in arresting the deteriorating security situation in the area. But this also has yet to hit home positively.

A source, who preferred anonymity, told Kristina Reports that the sea pirates comprise about three groups of ex-militants and cultists who have their camps along the Opobo Channel, about 500 nautical miles from Iyoba-Ama in Bonny LGA.

“These boys are well known to the security operatives, why they have not raided their camps is what I am yet to understand. Along the Opobo Channel, you will see their camps along the river. That is where they come from to attack travelers in the Bonny sea route.”

“Most of them are from Asarama in Andoni (LGA) with some collaborators in Bonny. Why are they not been raided? Why are they been allowed to continue to operate. Some of our boys have volunteered to go and face them but the JTF discouraged them.”

He called on the federal and state governments to task the security operatives to find a lasting solution to the problem and save the lives of the people of the area including those who travel to do business there.