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MWUN Records Over 50 Sea Pirate Activities In Rivers
No fewer than 50 sea pirates operations were recorded within the territorial waters of Rivers State in 2014.
Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Rivers State, Comrade Jonah Jumbo dropped this hint in a chat with The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Jumbo said during these operations many lives were lost and properties worth millions of Naira were carted away.
He regretted that government is not doing enough to protect the lives and properties of those who travel by speed boats and other river craft and called for the provision of gunboats at strategic positions on the river to ameliorate the ugly trend.
The Union boss hinted that most sea pirates operation at Opobo/Andoni axis were carried out by hoodlums from a neighbouring Calabar River, who operate down to Bonny and other areas and escape back to their state, urging government to take urgent steps this year.
According to him, with gunboats at strategic places it would surely ensure safety on the sea, and noted that he was not happy with what is happening on the waterways in Rivers State and its environs.
Jumbo however called on speed boat drivers and all maritime operators to register with the union and have the union’s emblem to readily identify them anywhere or have themselves to blame.
He further stated that any speedboat without the genuine union emblem should be accosted by the gunboats, the occupants well searched, their destination and identify verified, so that it could help check the criminal act on the sea and save lives and property.
“I foresee that if nothing is done in this 2015, worse things could happen with the election just by the corner,” he said.
Collins Barasimeye