Maritime Workers Embark On Strike Over Insecurity 

Maritime workers in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have embarked on a warning strike to protest the abduction of sea travellers along Brass and Nembe waterways.
This is coming barely few days after suspected pirates attacked some commercial boats and abducted four persons, including a 64-year-old chief, along Nembe creeks in Brass area of the state.
Maritime Workers Union of Brass Local Government Area  in a statement, said it was putting a halt to all marine operations due to the activities of pirates along Brass and Nembe creeks.
The statement did not, however, state the number of days the warning strike would last.
According to the statement, “This is to inform the Federal Government of Nigeria and the government of Bayelsa State that the waterways to Yenagoa and Nembe are not safe as travellers boarding local boats/speedboats are in danger.”
“No movement of all kinds of travelling by boat due to the activities of the sea pirates kidnapping and manhandling passengers travelling”
“Let the government of Nigeria and Bayelsa State come to our aid. Nevertheless, let the government put security checkpoints at various points on the waterways from Brass to Yenagoa and Brass to Nembe”.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Police Command said it had launched a manhunt for the kidnappers operating along Nembe waterways.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, in a statement, said the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mike Okoli, had ordered an immediate manhunt for the kidnappers who attacked speedboats and kidnapped passengers on the Okpoma/Idioma and Nembe/Brass waterways.
According to him, a joint operation of Marine Police, Nigerian Navy, and Joint Task Force ‘Operation Delta Safe’ are combing the creeks to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the kidnappers.

By: Chinedu Wosu