Ten students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) are still missing after being kidnapped by suspected sea pirates in Bille Kingdom, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident occurred on May 6, when the students, along with three other passengers, were traveling by boat to their examination center.
Armed attackers intercepted their boat along the Bille-Port Harcourt waterway and took them to an unknown location.
In protest, hundreds of women from Bille Kingdom marched to the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, demanding urgent intervention to address the increasing security threats on their waterways.
The demonstrators, all dressed in black, carried signs with messages such as “Stop the Attacks on Our People,” “Our Children Are Not Safe,” and “Secure Bille Waterways Now.”
The women expressed fear over the persistent attacks by pirates, which they say have made travel on the river route dangerous.
They accused the criminal gangs of abducting and harming innocent travelers without consequence.
The protesters submitted a letter to the state government, calling on the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, to take immediate action.
They requested the deployment of security forces, including the marine police and navy, to patrol the waterways and curb the rising crime.
Tamunoseki Bob-Manuel, one of the protest leaders, said the community has been living in fear since the abduction of 13 people, including the ten students.
“It’s been a week since they were taken. Families are devastated, and we still don’t know where our children are. We need help,” she said.
Another protester, identified as Blessing, shared her own experience, revealing that her mother and eight others had also been abducted recently.
She said a ransom of N30 million was paid, along with other supplies like fuel and food, before they were released.
She added: “Now, school children heading to write their exams have been taken. They’ve missed their tests. We cannot continue like this.”
A government official, who received the protest on behalf of Vice Admiral Ibas, assured the women that their message would be delivered to the Sole Administrator and that necessary steps would be taken to improve security in the area.
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