At least eight students on their way to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) remain in captivity weeks after they were abducted alongside five other passengers by pirates in Rivers State. Their captors are demanding a ransom of N100 million, even as the government remains tight-lipped on the worsening security situation in the region.
The victims were snatched on May 6 while travelling by boat along the Port Harcourt–Bille route in Degema Local Government Area. The attackers (pirates) reportedly seized two passenger boats during the operation, forcing all on board, including the students, into the creeks. More than two weeks later, no concrete rescue action appears to have been taken, while desperate families are left scrambling for answers.
Confirming the situation on Friday, Dr. Osaki Miller, former Youth President of Bille Kingdom, said the abductors had established contact with relatives and demanded N100 million for the safe return of the victims. “As we speak, the whereabouts of the victims is still unknown, and now we have been made to understand that the abductors are asking for N100m ransom,” Miller told reporters in Port Harcourt.
He expressed deep worry over the mental and physical wellbeing of the abducted students, describing the trauma their parents are enduring as unbearable. “These are young students who were only on their way to write their exams. Their parents are traumatised, and no family in our community can raise such an outrageous amount. We are deeply worried. Time is ticking, and the authorities must act fast,” he added.
Appealing for urgent intervention, Miller called on the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to step in and lead efforts for the hostages’ release. “We have lodged complaints with various quarters, including the security agencies and the government. We even staged a protest to alert the authorities. But up till now, we have not heard anything. Whatever the case, we are calling on the State Sole Administrator to swing into action,” he said.
Also speaking on the incident, Mr. Fibite Bibi, former Chairman of Bille Community, revealed that a uniformed officer who was among those abducted had been freed. “They released a uniformed man who was kidnapped alongside the students last Friday. We don’t know whether ransom was paid. But right now, they are demanding N100m for the students and Bille residents that were abducted. Where will that money come from?” Bibi asked.
He noted the community’s helplessness and urged the government to fulfill its security obligations. “We don’t have that kind of money. The security agencies should do what they are supposed to do and rescue these people. Nobody has that kind of money to give. They should please release the victims. The security agencies should please take the necessary action,” he added.
In a brief response, spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the police were working in collaboration with other agencies to secure the victims’ release. “Efforts have been intensified to secure the release of the victims and to apprehend the perpetrators,” she said.#WAEC#pirates#Pirates
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
