Sea pirates rape passengers on Bakassi waterways
May 16, 2015
Sea pirates
No fewer than 19 passengers have been attacked by sea pirates along the Bakassi waterways in Cross River State.
The horrified passengers have cried to
the Federal Government to increase gun patrol along the waterways as the
pirates have added a new dimension of raping female passengers to their
normal robbery activities.
They said it was not the first time that sea pirates would attack boats laden with traders along the waterways.
Narrating
his experience on the incident, which happened penultimate Friday, the
driver of the boat, Mr. Effiom Bassey, described it as horrifying.
“On that Friday around 9am, I was
leaving for Cameroon but not quite long after we had left Ikang,
headquarters of Bakassi Local Government Area, we saw one flying boat
coming. I initially thought it was a passenger boat, but when I saw the
flag I knew that they were sea pirates.
“They blocked me and pointed guns at me
asking me to fall into the water, which I did, and they took over my
flying boat. After ransacking all the passengers and raping some few
female travellers, they went away with all the goods in the boat.
“They dislodged the 19 passengers I
carried. They went away with my big boat. The goods they took away along
with the boat are estimated to be around N40m.”
A 24-year-old fish trader, Enoh Ubon,
who was among the victims, said passengers have lost so many valuables
to sea pirates in the last few months.
Ubon confirmed that two female traders
were raped during the encounter by the robbers, adding that she was,
however, spared because she was on her monthly menstrual cycle.
“It is not the first time that we have
been attacked. We have complained to authorities concerned but we have
not seen improved security presence. The robbers do not only steal, they
have added rape to it. This is unfortunate,” she said angrily.
Following the attack, boat operators
have intensified their call on the Federal Government to increase gun
patrol boats on the waterways.
Chairman of the Ikang Boat Owners
Association, Mr. Uduak Akpabio, said the Bakassi Jetty was one of the
most patronised by travellers going to Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial
Guinea.
He lamented that the sea pirates had consistently raped female passengers in addition to robbing them.
“This is too much for us. We have been
crying to the Federal Government but nothing has been done. The military
have only two small gun boats and the water is extensive.
“We are at risk here. Fishermen as well
as passengersare crying, and the security operatives are trying their
best but there are no equipment to work with.”
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral
Jibrin Usman, had penultimate week assured users of the Nigerian
waterways of safe and secure maritime environment.
He said the Navy was working with other security operatives to hunt for sea pirates and oil thieves.
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