Pirates have hijacked three boats and kidnapped 19 passengers along the Isaka River in Rivers State, Nigeria.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the gunmen attacked the boats, stealing goods and property worth millions of naira.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) confirmed the incident and stated that the union is planning to down tools to compel the government to take action against the regular attacks by sea robbers along the waterways in the state.
The union’s chairman, Isreal Pepple, lamented that the development is affecting business and appealed to the state Sole Administrator and security agencies to improve security along the waterways.
He also criticized the non-utilization of military gunboats donated by the Rivers State government to secure the waterways, citing lack of fuel and logistics as the major challenge.