The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has allayed fears of any attack by sea pirates along the Bonny Channel today and also said passengers, who were stranded earlier today due to alleged attack on the Bonny Channel close to Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, have been rescued and escorted safely to Bonny.

In response to an enquiry from Kristina Reports, a senior source in the Bonny Division, who preferred anonymity, hinted Kristina Reports that the rescued passengers were traveling in a commercial speedboat enroute Bonny when they received an alarm of an alleged ongoing attack by sea pirates.

This forced them to make a detour to a nearby fishing settlement close to the Onne Ocean Terminal and were there until the Marine Police gunboat came and escorted them to Bonny.

“The situation has been neutralized and all boat passengers are safe and back in Bonny.”

The police source, however, disclaimed the rumour of any attack, stating that “there was no sea pirate attack, whatsoever,” explaining that “though, they (passengers) were informed by a boat driver that there is suspected sea pirate attack ahead of them”.

“Owing to that information, the three incoming speedboats from Port Harcourt with passengers refused to move and rather berth at Onne and raised alarm.”

“On the strength of this alarm, the Marine Police patrol team moved in for clearance and escorted the stranded boat back to Bonny.”

The Bonny Channel, which was awash with incidences of sea pirates’ attacks, has experienced some quiet in almost a year now due to the bullish moves by the security agencies which carried out series of clearance operations in the adjoining waterways killing and arresting criminal elements who terrorized the waterways around Bonny and adjoining communities.

Photo Credits: Ibiriki Brown