Panic and heartbreak have gripped the Bille Kingdom in Rivers State as gun-wielding pirates, who hijacked two passenger boats and abducted 13 individuals—among them eight students en route to write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)—have demanded a staggering N100 million ransom for their release.
The brazen daylight attack occurred on May 6, 2025, along the volatile Port Harcourt–Bille waterways in Degema Local Government Area. The victims, primarily students and local residents, were reportedly on a routine trip when the armed men struck with military precision, commandeering the boats and disappearing into the creeks.
For over two harrowing weeks, the victims’ families have lived in uncertainty, their anguish now compounded by the pirates’ chilling demand. According to Dr. Osaki Miller, a prominent Bille community leader and former Youth President, the abductors recently reached out to the victims’ relatives, insisting on the N100 million payment before any negotiations for release.
“As we speak, the whereabouts of these innocent passengers, especially the students, remains unknown. Their captors are now demanding N100 million for their freedom,” Miller disclosed during a press conference in Port Harcourt. “These children were on their way to write life-changing exams. Their parents are traumatised. No family in our community can raise that kind of money. This is a nightmare.”
Dr. Miller did not mince words in calling on the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to take swift and decisive action.
“We’ve formally reported this incident to security agencies and relevant authorities. We even staged a protest to press our demands. Still, there has been no significant action or result. The silence is deafening. We call on the government to act now before it is too late,” he pleaded.
Echoing the urgency of the situation, Mr. Fibite Bibi, former Chairman of the Bille Community, revealed that one of the victims—believed to be a uniformed security operative—was released last Friday under unclear circumstances.
“They let a uniformed man go. We don’t know if ransom was paid, but now they are demanding N100 million for the rest, including our students. Where do they expect that kind of money to come from?” Bibi lamented. “These are ordinary citizens. It is the responsibility of the government and security agencies to bring them home safely.”
The incident has reignited calls for enhanced security on Nigeria’s inland waterways, especially in the Niger Delta, where pirate attacks and abductions have become an alarming trend. Residents accuse the authorities of doing little to protect travelers and communities from these frequent and violent criminal acts.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, assured the public that intense security operations were underway to secure the release of the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
“Efforts have been intensified to locate and rescue the abducted persons. We are working closely with other security agencies to ensure they are safely returned and the perpetrators brought to justice,” she stated.
As the days drag on, the fate of the abducted students and fellow passengers hangs in the balance. Their families—and the nation—wait with bated breath, hoping for a swift and safe resolution to this terrifying ordeal.
PIONEER NEWS 