No fewer than eight boat passengers were yesterday kidnapped by gunmen along the Kula-Abonema waterway in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the victims were travelling from Kula to Port Harcourt, when gunmen suspected to be pirates struck and abducted them.
Confirming their abduction, the Rivers Chairman, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Jonah Jumbo said the victims were abducted Monday, July 19, by suspected pirates.
According to Jumbo, out of the eight kidnapped persons, five were members of the maritime union in Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area headed to Port Harcourt for a meeting.
“The Kula unit and Abomema unit (of martime workers union) were asked to come for a meeting in the state office here in Port Harcourt, this morning (Monday).
On their way from Kula, we got a complaint (report) that the officials who were coning for the meeting were kidnapped.
All the passengers were kidnapped, including three others in the boat. Up till now, nobody has heard anything from the kidnappers.
So, we are appealing to the general public, the government and security agencies to really help us and see how they can reach the kidnappers,” he said
The state police command is yet to react to this development.