Women from Bille, in Degema Local Council of Rivers State, protested yesterday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, calling on the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, to address the persistent pirate attacks on their waterways.

The protest followed the abduction of 13 passengers, including 10 schoolchildren, on May 6, 2025. Reports revealed that the students, en route to sit for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), were intercepted by heavily armed pirates who diverted their boat into the creeks. The whereabouts of the victims remain unknown.

Speaking on behalf of the Concerned Mothers of Bille Kingdom, Janeth Adebayo expressed deep concern over the incident, noting that it has been a week since the children and their drivers were taken.

Adebayo recounted that the boat carrying the victims was intercepted by pirates, leaving the families in distress. She urged the Rivers State government, the Nigerian Army, and the police to intervene by deploying patrol teams to the area and enhancing collaboration with security agencies.

Adebayo stressed that decisive action is crucial to addressing insecurity in riverine communities. Another protester, Allale Blessing, shared her ordeal, revealing that her mother and eight others were recently abducted along the Bille waterways. A ransom of N30 million, fuel, water, and bread, was paid before they were released. She lamented that the pirates struck again on May 6, targeting schoolchildren and preventing them from writing their examinations.

Responding to the protesters, Vice Admiral Ibas, represented by the Camp Commandant of the Rivers State Government House, I.O. Gabriel, assured the women that the government would take swift and appropriate action to address their concerns. (The Guardian)

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